Magnetized Winds of M-type Stars and Star–Planet Magnetic Interactions: Uncertainties and Modeling Strategy

M-type stars are the most common stars in the Universe. They are ideal hosts for the search of exoplanets in the habitable zone (HZ), as their small size and low temperature make the HZ much closer-in than their solar twins. Harboring very deep convective layers, they also usually exhibit very inten...

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Main Authors: Victor Réville, Jamie M. Jasinski, Marco Velli, Antoine Strugarek, Allan Sacha Brun, Neil Murphy, Leonardo H. Regoli, Alexis P. Rouillard, Jacobo Varela
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: IOP Publishing 2024-01-01
Series:The Astrophysical Journal
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad8132
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author Victor Réville
Jamie M. Jasinski
Marco Velli
Antoine Strugarek
Allan Sacha Brun
Neil Murphy
Leonardo H. Regoli
Alexis P. Rouillard
Jacobo Varela
author_facet Victor Réville
Jamie M. Jasinski
Marco Velli
Antoine Strugarek
Allan Sacha Brun
Neil Murphy
Leonardo H. Regoli
Alexis P. Rouillard
Jacobo Varela
author_sort Victor Réville
collection DOAJ
description M-type stars are the most common stars in the Universe. They are ideal hosts for the search of exoplanets in the habitable zone (HZ), as their small size and low temperature make the HZ much closer-in than their solar twins. Harboring very deep convective layers, they also usually exhibit very intense magnetic fields. Understanding their environment, in particular their coronal and wind properties, is thus very important, as they might be very different from what is observed in the solar system. The mass-loss rate of M-type stars is poorly known observationally, and recent attempts to estimate it for some of them (e.g., TRAPPIST-1 and Proxima Centauri) can vary by an order of magnitude. In this work, we revisit the stellar wind properties of M dwarfs in the light of the latest estimates of $\dot{M}$ through Ly α absorption at the astropause and slingshot prominences. We outline a modeling strategy to estimate the mass-loss rate, radiative loss, and wind speed, with uncertainties, based on an Alfvén-wave-driven stellar wind model. We find that it is very likely that several TRAPPIST-1 planets lie within the Alfvén surface, which implies that these planets experience star–planet magnetic interactions (SPMIs). We also find that SPMIs between Proxima Cen b and its host star could be the reason for recently observed radio emissions.
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spelling doaj-art-bbf3d3edfe304f5685be61acd3afb55d2025-08-20T02:14:31ZengIOP PublishingThe Astrophysical Journal1538-43572024-01-0197616510.3847/1538-4357/ad8132Magnetized Winds of M-type Stars and Star–Planet Magnetic Interactions: Uncertainties and Modeling StrategyVictor Réville0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2916-3837Jamie M. Jasinski1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9969-2884Marco Velli2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2381-3106Antoine Strugarek3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9630-6463Allan Sacha Brun4https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1729-8267Neil Murphy5https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6102-7563Leonardo H. Regoli6https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7628-1510Alexis P. Rouillard7https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4039-5767Jacobo Varela8https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6114-0539IRAP, Université Toulouse III—Paul Sabatier , CNRS, CNES, Toulouse, FranceNASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology , Pasadena, CA 91011, USANASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology , Pasadena, CA 91011, USADépartement d’Astrophysique/AIM, CEA/IRFU, CNRS/INSU, Univ. Paris-Saclay & Univ. de Paris , 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, FranceDépartement d’Astrophysique/AIM, CEA/IRFU, CNRS/INSU, Univ. Paris-Saclay & Univ. de Paris , 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, FranceNASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology , Pasadena, CA 91011, USAJohns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratroy , Laurel, MD 20723, USAIRAP, Université Toulouse III—Paul Sabatier , CNRS, CNES, Toulouse, FranceInstitute for Fusion Studies, Department of Physics, University of Texas at Austin , Austin, TX 78712, USAM-type stars are the most common stars in the Universe. They are ideal hosts for the search of exoplanets in the habitable zone (HZ), as their small size and low temperature make the HZ much closer-in than their solar twins. Harboring very deep convective layers, they also usually exhibit very intense magnetic fields. Understanding their environment, in particular their coronal and wind properties, is thus very important, as they might be very different from what is observed in the solar system. The mass-loss rate of M-type stars is poorly known observationally, and recent attempts to estimate it for some of them (e.g., TRAPPIST-1 and Proxima Centauri) can vary by an order of magnitude. In this work, we revisit the stellar wind properties of M dwarfs in the light of the latest estimates of $\dot{M}$ through Ly α absorption at the astropause and slingshot prominences. We outline a modeling strategy to estimate the mass-loss rate, radiative loss, and wind speed, with uncertainties, based on an Alfvén-wave-driven stellar wind model. We find that it is very likely that several TRAPPIST-1 planets lie within the Alfvén surface, which implies that these planets experience star–planet magnetic interactions (SPMIs). We also find that SPMIs between Proxima Cen b and its host star could be the reason for recently observed radio emissions.https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad8132Stellar windsM starsExoplanetsMagnetohydrodynamics
spellingShingle Victor Réville
Jamie M. Jasinski
Marco Velli
Antoine Strugarek
Allan Sacha Brun
Neil Murphy
Leonardo H. Regoli
Alexis P. Rouillard
Jacobo Varela
Magnetized Winds of M-type Stars and Star–Planet Magnetic Interactions: Uncertainties and Modeling Strategy
The Astrophysical Journal
Stellar winds
M stars
Exoplanets
Magnetohydrodynamics
title Magnetized Winds of M-type Stars and Star–Planet Magnetic Interactions: Uncertainties and Modeling Strategy
title_full Magnetized Winds of M-type Stars and Star–Planet Magnetic Interactions: Uncertainties and Modeling Strategy
title_fullStr Magnetized Winds of M-type Stars and Star–Planet Magnetic Interactions: Uncertainties and Modeling Strategy
title_full_unstemmed Magnetized Winds of M-type Stars and Star–Planet Magnetic Interactions: Uncertainties and Modeling Strategy
title_short Magnetized Winds of M-type Stars and Star–Planet Magnetic Interactions: Uncertainties and Modeling Strategy
title_sort magnetized winds of m type stars and star planet magnetic interactions uncertainties and modeling strategy
topic Stellar winds
M stars
Exoplanets
Magnetohydrodynamics
url https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad8132
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