Is this project an undergraduate, graduate, or faculty project?
Undergraduate
individual
What campus are you from?
Daytona Beach
Authors' Class Standing
Junior
Lead Presenter's Name
Grace Henry
Faculty Mentor Name
Ted von Hippel
Abstract
This paper presents an analysis of stellar ages and properties for a sample of stars hosting exoplanets in their habitable zones, using the BASE-9 software. BASE-9 employs Bayesian statistics to model stellar parameters such as age, mass, metallicity, and distance by fitting observed photometric data to theoretical isochrones. The primary goal of this study is to determine more accurate ages for these host stars, which is critical for understanding the long-term habitability of their exoplanets.
Our sample consists of 5 stars with well-characterized exoplanets, and we utilize a combination of observational data, including photometry and spectroscopy, to constrain the models. The stars chosen were Mu Arae, Upsilon Andromedae, HD11964, HD4732, and HD73534. The results show that the ages of these stars to be 7.02, 3.60, 8.23, 3.31, and 4.06 billion years respectively. The implications of these findings for exoplanet habitability and stellar evolution are discussed in detail.
By improving the precision of stellar age estimates, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of the evolutionary history of stars with potentially habitable exoplanets. Our results also underscore the importance of using advanced modeling techniques like BASE-9 for stellar characterization in exoplanet studies.
Did this research project receive funding support from the Office of Undergraduate Research.
Yes, SURF
Aging Popular Exoplanet Hosts
This paper presents an analysis of stellar ages and properties for a sample of stars hosting exoplanets in their habitable zones, using the BASE-9 software. BASE-9 employs Bayesian statistics to model stellar parameters such as age, mass, metallicity, and distance by fitting observed photometric data to theoretical isochrones. The primary goal of this study is to determine more accurate ages for these host stars, which is critical for understanding the long-term habitability of their exoplanets.
Our sample consists of 5 stars with well-characterized exoplanets, and we utilize a combination of observational data, including photometry and spectroscopy, to constrain the models. The stars chosen were Mu Arae, Upsilon Andromedae, HD11964, HD4732, and HD73534. The results show that the ages of these stars to be 7.02, 3.60, 8.23, 3.31, and 4.06 billion years respectively. The implications of these findings for exoplanet habitability and stellar evolution are discussed in detail.
By improving the precision of stellar age estimates, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of the evolutionary history of stars with potentially habitable exoplanets. Our results also underscore the importance of using advanced modeling techniques like BASE-9 for stellar characterization in exoplanet studies.