Bibcode
Delfosse, X.; Forveille, T.; Ségransan, D.; Beuzit, J.-L.; Udry, S.; Perrier, C.; Mayor, M.
Bibliographical reference
Astronomy and Astrophysics, v.364, p.217-224 (2000)
Advertised on:
12
2000
Journal
Citations
510
Refereed citations
458
Description
We present improved visual and near-infrared empirical mass-luminosity
relations for very low mass stars (M<0.6 Msolar). These
relations make use of all stellar masses in this range known with better
than 10% accuracy, most of which are new determinations with 0.2 to 5%
accuracy from our own programme, presented in a companion paper. As
predicted by stellar structure models, the metallicity dispersion of the
field populations induces a large scatter around the mean V band
relation, while the infrared relations are much tighter. The agreement
of the observed infrared mass-luminosity relations with the theoretical
relations of Baraffe et al. (cite{baraffe98}) and Siess et al.
(cite{siess00}) is impressive, while we find an increasingly
significant discrepancy in the V band for decreasing masses. The
theoretical mass-luminosity relation which is insufficiently steep, and
has introduced significant errors in the local stellar mass functions
derived from V band luminosity functions. Based on observations made at
the Observatoire de Haute Provence (CNRS), and at the CFH Telescope,
operated by the NRCC, the CNRS and the University of Hawaii