Abstract
Model atmospheres have been computed for M dwarfs that are strongly irradiated by nearby hot companions. A variety of primary and secondary spectral types are explored in addition to models specific to four known systems: GD 245, NN Ser, AA Dor, and UU Sge. This work demonstrates that a dramatic temperature inversion is possible on at least one hemisphere of an irradiated M dwarf and that the emergent spectrum will be significantly different from an isolated M dwarf or a blackbody flux distribution. For the first time, synthetic spectra suitable for direct comparison to high-resolution observations of irradiated M dwarfs in non-mass-transferring post-common-envelope binaries are presented. The effects of departures from local thermodynamic equilibrium on the Balmer line profiles are also discussed.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 338-348 |
Number of pages | 11 |
Journal | Astrophysical Journal |
Volume | 614 |
Issue number | 1 I |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Oct 10 2004 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Binaries: close
- Radiative transfer
- Stars: atmospheres
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Space and Planetary Science