Speaker
Description
We use improved, empirical late K and M dwarf spectral templates to more accurately determine spectral subtypes and metallicity classes for all stars in the IPL-2 release. These templates are used in the MDwarfType pipeline to spectroscopically classify low-mass stars. Chromospheric activity in low-mass stars (late K and M dwarfs) is typically associated with youth. To test this hypothesis, we have begun to assemble a subset of chromospherically active M dwarfs which we identified by searching for residual H-alpha emission in the SDSS-V spectra after subtraction of the best-fit classification template. Active stars are then selected if they reveal an H-alpha flux excess greater than 5σ from the mean around 6563Å. We use the identified active stars to look for new young moving groups and to investigate causes for activity in the old/thick disk populations and Milky Way halo. We plan to improve the empirical K and M dwarf classification templates in the future by incorporating spectra from SDSS-V, and by more carefully selecting higher quality stellar spectra to create the templates.
