The HET Radial Velocity Program for Planetary Systems around M Dwarfs

Radial velocity (RV) observations of low-mass stars can be used to discover and determine the mass of planets down to a few Earth-masses. The need for RV observations as part of RV monitoring as well as follow-up of transit candidates from photometric satellite missions (TESS now and PLATO in the future) is very large. In the community of the Priority Program we identify a lack of RV programs, in particular for the follow-up of transit missions because this field is developing particularly quickly. In our project, we build on the PI’s experience in detection and characterization of planets around M-stars, and we want to develop this expertise as part of the Priority Program. As partner of the 10 m Hobby-Eberly-Telescope, we have the unique opportunity to access the Habitable Zone Planet Finder (HPF), a world-leading RV facility for the investigation of low-mass stars. With HPF, we want to carry out a detailed observing campaign in a sample of about ten handpicked M dwarf stars. About half of them were observed by other surveys showing interesting but not yet significant signatures, the other half will be transiting planet candidates from the TESS mission.