Related papers: The Mass-Radius(-Rotation?) Relation for Low-Mass …
The Kepler K2 mission now makes it possible to find and study a wider variety of eclipsing binary stars than has been possible to-date, particularly long-period systems with narrow eclipses. Our aim is to characterise eclipsing binary stars…
The eclipsing binary LL Aqr consists of two late-type stars in an eccentric orbit with a period of 20.17 d. We use an extensive light curve from the SuperWASP survey augmented by published radial velocities and UBV light curves to measure…
We have searched the Kepler light curves of ~3900 M-star targets for evidence of periodicities that indicate, by means of the effects of starspots, rapid stellar rotation. Several analysis techniques, including Fourier transforms,…
We present follow-up observations and analysis of the recently discovered short period low-mass eclipsing binary, SDSS J001641-000925. With an orbital period of 0.19856 days, this system has one of the shortest known periods for an M dwarf…
Stellar rotation periods are valuable both for constraining models of angular momentum loss and for under- standing how magnetic features impact inferences of exoplanet parameters. Building on our previous work in the northern hemisphere,…
We have analysed K2 light curves for more than 3,000 low mass stars in the $\sim$8 Myr old Upper Sco association, the $\sim$125 Myr age Pleiades open cluster and the $\sim$700 Myr old Hyades and Praesepe open clusters to determine stellar…
Low-mass ($M_{\star}/M_{\sun} \lesssim 0.45$) white dwarfs, including the so called extremely low-mass white dwarfs (ELM, $M_{\star}/M_{\sun } \lesssim 0.18-0.20$), are being currently discovered in the field of our Galaxy through dedicated…
It is estimated that ~60% of all stars (including brown dwarfs) have masses below 0.2Msun. Currently, there is no consensus on how these objects form. I will briefly review the four main theories for the formation of low-mass objects:…
Theoretical models of low-mass stars continue to be discrepant with observations when used to examine the mass-radius relationship and other physical parameters of individual stars. High-resolution spectroscopy that leads to dynamical…
Eclipsing binary star systems provide the most accurate method of measuring both the masses and radii of stars. Moreover, they enable testing tidal synchronization and circularization theories, as well as constraining models of stellar…
We present optical spectroscopy and extensive $RI$ differential photometry of the double-lined eclipsing binary NSVS 02502726 (2MASS J08441103+5423473). Simultaneous solution of two-band light curves and radial velocities permits…
Rotation is a directly-observable stellar property, and drives magnetic field generation and activity through a magnetic dynamo. Main sequence stars with masses below approximately 0.35Msun (mid-to-late M dwarfs) are fully-convective, and…
Numerous investigations on the fundamental properties of low-mass stars using eclipsing binaries indicate a strong discrepancy between theory and observations that is still awaiting explanation. Current models seem to predict radii for…
Astrometric observations of resolved binaries provide estimates of orbital periods and will eventually lead to measurement of dynamical masses. Only a few very low mass star and brown dwarf masses have been measured to date, and the…
Extreme eclipsing binaries may harbor peculiar physical properties. In this work, we aim to identify a sample of such systems by selecting binaries with pronounced eclipsing light curves, characterized of large variability ($\Delta…
Multiplicity is ubiquitous among massive stars. While the stellar components usually display similar masses, some binaries with extremely low mass ratios were also observed. Some of them are primordial, while others arise from binary…
Fast spinning neutron stars, recycled in low mass binaries, may have accreted a substantial amount of mass. The available relativistic measurements of neutron star masses, all clustering around 1.4 M_sun, however refer mostly to slowly…
We highlight the importance of eclipsing double-line binaries in our understanding on star formation and evolution. We review the recent discoveries of low-mass and sub-stellar eclipsing binaries belonging to star-forming regions, open…
Low mass ratio systems (LMR) are a very interesting class of contact eclipsing binaries challenging the theoretical models of stability. These systems are also considered possible progenitors of the rare low-mass optical transients called…
Exoplanet surveys have shown that systems with multiple low-mass planets on compact orbits are common. Except for few cases, however, the masses of these planets are generally unknown. At the very end of the main sequence, host stars have…