USING M DWARF SPECTRA TO MAP EXTINCTION IN THE LOCAL GALAXY
We use spectra of more than 56,000 M dwarfs from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) to create a high-latitude extinction map of the local Galaxy. Our technique compares spectra from the stars in the SDSS Data Release 7 M dwarf sample in low-extinction lines of sight, as determined by Schlegel et al., to other SDSS M dwarf spectra in order to derive improved distance estimates and accurate line-of-sight extinctions. Unlike most previous studies, which have used a two-color method to determine extinction, we fit extinction curves to fluxes across the spectral range from 5700 to 9200 A for every star in our sample. Our result is an A{sub V} map that extends from a few tens of pc to approximately 2 kpc away from the Sun. We also use a similar technique to create a map of R{sub V} values within approximately 1 kpc of the Sun and find that they are consistent with the widely accepted diffuse interstellar medium value of 3.1. Using our extinction data, we derive a dust scale height for the local Galaxy of 119 {+-} 15 pc and find evidence for a local dust cavity.
- OSTI ID:
- 21583025
- Journal Information:
- Astronomical Journal (New York, N.Y. Online), Vol. 142, Issue 2; Other Information: DOI: 10.1088/0004-6256/142/2/44; ISSN 1538-3881
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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