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Andrew W. Mann

Publications and source records attributed to Andrew W. Mann.

At least 181 records · Page 10Linked to original sources

SOAR TESS Survey. I: Sculpting of TESS planetary systems by stellar companions

TESS is finding transiting planet candidates around bright, nearby stars across the entire sky. The large field-of-view, however, results in low spatial resolution, therefore multiple stars contribute to almost every TESS light curve. High-angular resolution imaging can detect the previously unknown companions to planetary candidate hosts that dilute the transit depths, lead to host star ambiguity, and in some cases are the source of false-positive transit signals. We use speckle imaging on SOAR to search for companions to 542 TESS planet candidate hosts in the Southern sky. We provide correction factors for the 117 systems with resolved companions due to photometric contamination. The contamination in TESS due to close binaries is similar to that found in surveys of Kepler planet candidates. For the solar-type population, we find a deep deficit of close binary systems with projected stellar separations less than 100 AU among planet candidate hosts (44 observed binaries compared to 124 expected based on field binary statistics). The close binary suppression among TESS planet candidate hosts is similar to that seen for the more distant Kepler population. We also find a large surplus of the TESS planet candidates in wide binary systems, detected in both SOAR and Gaia DR2 (119 observed binaries compared to 77 expected). These wide binaries host almost exclusively giant planets, however, suggesting orbital migration, caused by perturbations from the stellar companion, may lead to planet-planet scattering and suppress the population of small planets in wide binaries. Both trends are also apparent in the M-dwarf planet candidate hosts.

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HD 213885b: A transiting 1-day-period super-Earth with an Earth-like composition around a bright ($V=7.9$) star unveiled by TESS

We report the discovery of the 1.008-day, ultra-short period (USP) super-Earth HD 213885b (TOI-141b) orbiting the bright ($V=7.9$) star HD 213885 (TOI-141, TIC 403224672), detected using photometry from the recently launched TESS mission. Using FEROS, HARPS and CORALIE radial-velocities, we measure a precise mass of $8.8\pm0.6$ $M_\oplus$ for this $1.74 \pm 0.05$ $R_\oplus$ exoplanet, which provides enough information to constrain its bulk composition, which is similar to Earth's but enriched in iron. The radius, mass and stellar irradiation of HD 213885b are, given our data, very similar to 55 Cancri e, making this exoplanet a good target to perform comparative exoplanetology of short period, highly irradiated super-Earths. Our precise radial-velocities reveal an additional $4.78$-day signal which we interpret as arising from a second, non-transiting planet in the system, HD 213885c (TOI-141c), whose minimum mass of $19.95\pm 1.4$ $M_\oplus$ makes it consistent with being a Neptune-mass exoplanet. The HD 213885 system is very interesting from the perspective of future atmospheric characterization, being the second brightest star to host an ultra-short period transiting super-Earth (with the brightest star being, in fact, 55 Cancri). Prospects for characterization with present and future observatories are discussed.

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WISE J072003.20-084651.2B Is A Massive T Dwarf

We present individual dynamical masses for the nearby M9.5+T5.5 binary WISE J072003.20$-$084651.2AB, a.k.a. Scholz's star. Combining high-precision CFHT/WIRCam photocenter astrometry and Keck adaptive optics resolved imaging, we measure the first high-quality parallactic distance ($6.80_{-0.06}^{+0.05}$ pc) and orbit ($8.06_{-0.25}^{+0.24}$ yr period) for this system composed of a low-mass star and brown dwarf. We find a moderately eccentric orbit ($e = 0.240_{-0.010}^{+0.009}$), incompatible with previous work based on less data, and dynamical masses of $99\pm6$ $M_{\rm Jup}$ and $66\pm4$ $M_{\rm Jup}$ for the two components. The primary mass is marginally inconsistent (2.1$σ$) with the empirical mass$-$magnitude$-$metallicity relation and models of main-sequence stars. The relatively high mass of the cold ($T_{\rm eff} = 1250\pm40$ K) brown dwarf companion indicates an age older than a few Gyr, in accord with age estimates for the primary star, and is consistent with our recent estimate of $\approx$70 $M_{\rm Jup}$ for the stellar/substellar boundary among the field population. Our improved parallax and proper motion, as well as an orbit-corrected system velocity, improve the accuracy of the system's close encounter with the solar system by an order of magnitude. WISE J0720$-$0846AB passed within $68.7\pm2.0$ kAU of the Sun $80.5\pm0.7$ kyr ago, passing through the outer Oort cloud where comets can have stable orbits.

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TESS Spots a Compact System of Super-Earths around the Naked-Eye Star HR 858

Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) observations have revealed a compact multi-planet system around the sixth-magnitude star HR 858 (TIC 178155732, TOI 396), located 32 parsecs away. Three planets, each about twice the size of Earth, transit this slightly-evolved, late F-type star, which is also a member of a visual binary. Two of the planets may be in mean motion resonance. We analyze the TESS observations, using novel methods to model and remove instrumental systematic errors, and combine these data with follow-up observations taken from a suite of ground-based telescopes to characterize the planetary system. The HR 858 planets are enticing targets for precise radial velocity observations, secondary eclipse spectroscopy, and measurements of the Rossiter-McLaughlin effect.

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An Eccentric Massive Jupiter Orbiting a Sub-Giant on a 9.5 Day Period Discovered in the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite Full Frame Images

We report the discovery of TOI-172 b from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission, a massive hot Jupiter transiting a slightly evolved G-star with a 9.48-day orbital period. This is the first planet to be confirmed from analysis of only the TESS full frame images, because the host star was not chosen as a two minute cadence target. From a global analysis of the TESS photometry and follow-up observations carried out by the TESS Follow-up Observing Program Working Group, TOI-172 (TIC 29857954) is a slightly evolved star with an effective temperature of $T_{\rm eff}$ =$5645\pm50$ K, a mass of $M_{\star}$ = $1.128^{+0.065}_{-0.061}$ $M_{\odot}$, radius of $R_{\star}$ = $1.777^{+0.047}_{-0.044}$ $R_{\odot}$, a surface gravity of $\log$ $g_{\star}$ = $3.993^{+0.027}_{-0.028}$, and an age of $7.4^{+1.6}_{-1.5}$ Gyr. Its planetary companion (TOI-172 b) has a radius of $R_{\rm P}$ = $0.965^{+0.032}_{-0.029}$ $R_{\rm J}$, a mass of $M_{\rm P}$ = $5.42^{+0.22}_{-0.20}$ $M_{\rm J}$, and is on an eccentric orbit ($e = 0.3806^{+0.0093}_{-0.0090}$). TOI-172 b is one of the few known massive giant planets on a highly eccentric short-period orbit. Future study of the atmosphere of this planet and its system architecture offer opportunities to understand the formation and evolution of similar systems.

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TESS Hunt for Young and Maturing Exoplanets (THYME): A planet in the 45 Myr Tucana-Horologium association

Young exoplanets are snapshots of the planetary evolution process. Planets that orbit stars in young associations are particularly important because the age of the planetary system is well constrained. We present the discovery of a transiting planet larger than Neptune but smaller than Saturn in the 45 Myr Tucana-Horologium young moving group. The host star is a visual binary, and our follow-up observations demonstrate that the planet orbits the G6V primary component, DS Tuc A (HD 222259A, TIC 410214986). We first identified transits using photometry from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS; alerted as TOI 200.01). We validated the planet and improved the stellar parameters using a suite of new and archival data, including spectra from SOAR/Goodman, SALT/HRS and LCO/NRES; transit photometry from Spitzer; and deep adaptive optics imaging from Gemini/GPI. No additional stellar or planetary signals are seen in the data. We measured the planetary parameters by simultaneously modeling the photometry with a transit model and a Gaussian process to account for stellar variability. We determined that the planetary radius is $5.70\pm0.17$ Earth radii and that the orbital period is 8.1 days. The inclination angles of the host star's spin axis, the planet's orbital axis, and the visual binary's orbital axis are aligned within 15 degrees to within the uncertainties of the relevant data. DS Tuc Ab is bright enough (V=8.5) for detailed characterization using radial velocities and transmission spectroscopy.

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The L 98-59 System: Three Transiting, Terrestrial-Sized Planets Orbiting a Nearby M-dwarf

We report the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) discovery of three terrestrial-sized planets transiting L 98-59 (TOI-175, TIC 307210830) -- a bright M dwarf at a distance of 10.6 pc. Using the Gaia-measured distance and broad-band photometry we find that the host star is an M3 dwarf. Combined with the TESS transits from three sectors, the corresponding stellar parameters yield planet radii ranging from 0.8REarth to 1.6REarth. All three planets have short orbital periods, ranging from 2.25 to 7.45 days with the outer pair just wide of a 2:1 period resonance. Diagnostic tests produced by the TESS Data Validation Report and the vetting package DAVE rule out common false positive sources. These analyses, along with dedicated follow-up and the multiplicity of the system, lend confidence that the observed signals are caused by planets transiting L 98-59 and are not associated with other sources in the field. The L 98-59 system is interesting for a number of reasons: the host star is bright (V = 11.7 mag, K = 7.1 mag) and the planets are prime targets for further follow-up observations including precision radial-velocity mass measurements and future transit spectroscopy with the James Webb Space Telescope; the near resonant configuration makes the system a laboratory to study planetary system dynamical evolution; and three planets of relatively similar size in the same system present an opportunity to study terrestrial planets where other variables (age, metallicity, etc.) can be held constant. L 98-59 will be observed in 4 more TESS sectors, which will provide a wealth of information on the three currently known planets and have the potential to reveal additional planets in the system.

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The Revised TESS Input Catalog and Candidate Target List

We describe the catalogs assembled and the algorithms used to populate the revised TESS Input Catalog (TIC), based on the incorporation of the Gaia second data release. We also describe a revised ranking system for prioritizing stars for 2-minute cadence observations, and assemble a revised Candidate Target List (CTL) using that ranking. The TIC is available on the Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes (MAST) server, and an enhanced CTL is available through the Filtergraph data visualization portal system at the URL http://filtergraph.vanderbilt.edu/tess_ctl.

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Effective Temperatures of Low-Mass Stars from High-Resolution H-band Spectroscopy

High-resolution, near-infrared spectra will be the primary tool for finding and characterizing Earth-like planets around low-mass stars. Yet, the properties of exoplanets can not be precisely determined without accurate and precise measurements of the host star. Spectra obtained with the Immersion GRating INfrared Spectrometer (IGRINS) simultaneously provide diagnostics for most stellar parameters, but the first step in any analysis is the determination of the effective temperature. Here we report the calibration of high-resolution H-band spectra to accurately determine effective temperature for stars between 4000-3000 K ($\sim$K8--M5) using absorption line depths of Fe I, OH, and Al I. The field star sample used here contains 254 K and M stars with temperatures derived using BT-Settl synthetic spectra. We use 106 stars with precise temperatures in the literature to calibrate our method with typical errors of about 140 K, and systematic uncertainties less than $\sim$120 K. For the broadest applicability, we present T$_{\rm eff}$--line-depth-ratio relationships, which we test on 12 members of the TW Hydrae Association and at spectral resolving powers between $\sim$10,000--120,000. These ratios offer a simple but accurate measure of effective temperature in cool stars that is distance and reddening independent.

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A Hot Saturn Orbiting An Oscillating Late Subgiant Discovered by TESS

We present the discovery of TOI-197.01, the first transiting planet identified by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) for which asteroseismology of the host star is possible. TOI-197 (HIP116158) is a bright (V=8.2 mag), spectroscopically classified subgiant which oscillates with an average frequency of about 430 muHz and displays a clear signature of mixed modes. The oscillation amplitude confirms that the redder TESS bandpass compared to Kepler has a small effect on the oscillations, supporting the expected yield of thousands of solar-like oscillators with TESS 2-minute cadence observations. Asteroseismic modeling yields a robust determination of the host star radius (2.943+/-0.064 Rsun), mass (1.212 +/- 0.074 Msun) and age (4.9+/-1.1 Gyr), and demonstrates that it has just started ascending the red-giant branch. Combining asteroseismology with transit modeling and radial-velocity observations, we show that the planet is a "hot Saturn" (9.17+/-0.33 Rearth) with an orbital period of ~14.3 days, irradiance of 343+/-24 Fearth, moderate mass (60.5 +/- 5.7 Mearth) and density (0.431+/-0.062 gcc). The properties of TOI-197.01 show that the host-star metallicity - planet mass correlation found in sub-Saturns (4-8 Rearth) does not extend to larger radii, indicating that planets in the transition between sub-Saturns and Jupiters follow a relatively narrow range of densities. With a density measured to ~15%, TOI-197.01 is one of the best characterized Saturn-sized planets to date, augmenting the small number of known transiting planets around evolved stars and demonstrating the power of TESS to characterize exoplanets and their host stars using asteroseismology.

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How to Constrain Your M dwarf II: the mass-luminosity-metallicity relation from 0.075 to 0.70$M_\odot$

The mass-luminosity relation for late-type stars has long been a critical tool for estimating stellar masses. However, there is growing need for both a higher-precision relation and a better understanding of systematic effects (e.g., metallicity). Here we present an empirical relationship between Mks and mass spanning $0.075M_\odot<M<0.70M_\odot$. The relation is derived from 62 nearby binaries, whose orbits we determine using a combination of Keck/NIRC2 imaging, archival adaptive optics data, and literature astrometry. From their orbital parameters, we determine the total mass of each system, with a precision better than 1% in the best cases. We use these total masses, in combination with resolved Ks magnitudes and system parallaxes, to calibrate the mass-Mks relation. The result can be used to determine masses of single stars with a precision of 2-3%, which we confirm by a comparison to dynamical masses from the literature. The precision is limited by scatter around the best-fit relation beyond mass uncertainties, perhaps driven by intrinsic variation in the mass-Mks relation or underestimated measurement errors. We find the effect of [Fe/H] on the mass-Mks relation is likely negligible for metallicities in the Solar neighborhood (0.0+/-2.2% change in mass per dex change in [Fe/H]). This weak effect is consistent with predictions from the Dartmouth Stellar Evolution Database, but inconsistent with those from MESA Isochrones and Stellar Tracks. A sample of binaries with a wider range of abundances will be required to discern the importance of metallicity in extreme populations (e.g., in the Galactic Halo or thick disk).

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Near-resonance in a system of sub-Neptunes from TESS

We report the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite ($TESS$) detection of a multi-planet system orbiting the $V=10.9$ K0 dwarf TOI 125. We find evidence for up to five planets, with varying confidence. Three high signal-to-noise transit signals correspond to sub-Neptune-sized planets ($2.76$, $2.79$, and $2.94\ R_{\oplus}$), and we statistically validate the planetary nature of the two inner planets ($P_b = 4.65$ days, $P_c = 9.15$ days). With only two transits observed, we report the outer object ($P_{.03} = 19.98$ days) as a high signal-to-noise ratio planet candidate. We also detect a candidate transiting super-Earth ($1.4\ R_{\oplus}$) with an orbital period of only $12.7$ hours and a candidate Neptune-sized planet ($4.2\ R_{\oplus}$) with a period of $13.28$ days, both at low signal-to-noise. This system is amenable to mass determination via radial velocities and transit timing variations, and provides an opportunity to study planets of similar size while controlling for age and environment. The ratio of orbital periods between TOI 125 b and c ($P_c/P_b = 1.97$) is slightly smaller than an exact 2:1 commensurability and is atypical of multiple planet systems from $Kepler$, which show a preference for period ratios just $wide$ of first-order period ratios. A dynamical analysis refines the allowed parameter space through stability arguments and suggests that, despite the nearly commensurate periods, the system is unlikely to be in resonance.

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The Little Dippers: Transits of Star-grazing Exocomets?

We describe EPIC 205718330 and EPIC 235240266, two systems identified in the K2 data whose light curves contain episodic drops in brightness with shapes and durations similar to those of the young "dipper" stars, yet shallower by ~1-2 orders of magnitude. These "little dippers" have diverse profile shapes with durations of ~0.5-1.0 days and depths of ~0.1-1.0% in flux; however, unlike most of the young dipper stars, these do not exhibit any detectable infrared excess indicative of protoplanetary disks, and our ground-based follow-up spectra lack any signatures of youth while indicating these objects as kinematically old. After ruling out instrumental and/or data processing artifacts as sources of the dimming events, we investigate possible astrophysical mechanisms based on the light curve and stellar properties. We argue that the little dippers are consistent with transits of star-grazing exocomets, and speculate that they are signposts of massive non-transiting exoplanets driving the close-approach orbits.

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Zodiacal Exoplanets in Time (ZEIT) VIII: A Two Planet System in Praesepe from K2 Campaign 16

Young planets offer a direct view of the formation and evolution processes that produced the diverse population of mature exoplanet systems known today. The repurposed Kepler mission K2 is providing the first sample of young transiting planets by observing populations of stars in nearby, young clusters or stellar associations. We report the detection and confirmation of two planets transiting K2-264, an M2.5 dwarf in the 650 Myr old Praesepe open cluster. Using our notch-filter search method on the K2 lightcurve, we identify planets with periods of 5.84 d and 19.66 d. This is currently the second known multi-transit system in open clusters younger than 1 Gyr. The inner planet has a radius of 2.27$_{-0.16}^{+0.20}$ R$_\oplus$ and the outer planet has a radius of 2.77$_{-0.18}^{+0.20}$ R$_\oplus$. Both planets are likely mini-Neptunes. These planets are expected to produce radial velocity signals of 3.4 and 2.7 m/s respectively, which is smaller than the expected stellar variability in the optical ($\simeq$30 m/s), making mass measurements unlikely in the optical, but possible with future near-infrared spectrographs. We use an injection-recovery test to place robust limits on additional planets in the system, and find that planets larger than 2 R$_\oplus$ with periods of 1-20 d are unlikely.

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The Hawaii Infrared Parallax Program. III. 2MASS J0249-0557 c: A Wide Planetary-mass Companion to a Low-mass Binary in the beta Pic Moving Group

We have discovered a wide planetary-mass companion to the $β$ Pic moving group member 2MASSJ02495639-0557352 (M6 VL-G) using CFHT/WIRCam astrometry from the Hawaii Infrared Parallax Program. In addition, Keck laser guide star adaptive optics aperture-masking interferometry shows that the host is itself a tight binary. Altogether, 2MASSJ0249-0557ABc is a bound triple system with an $11.6^{+1.0}_{-1.3}$ $M_{\rm Jup}$ object separated by $1950\pm200$ AU (40") from a relatively close ($2.17\pm0.22$ AU, 0.04") pair of $48^{+12}_{-13}$ $M_{\rm Jup}$ and $44^{+11}_{-14}$ $M_{\rm Jup}$ objects. 2MASSJ0249-0557AB is one of the few ultracool binaries to be discovered in a young moving group and the first confirmed in the $β$ Pic moving group ($22\pm6$ Myr). The mass, absolute magnitudes, and spectral type of 2MASSJ0249-0557 c (L2 VL-G) are remarkably similar to those of the planet $β$ Pic b (L2, $13.0^{+0.4}_{-0.3}$ $M_{\rm Jup}$). We also find that the free-floating object 2MASSJ2208+2921 (L3 VL-G) is another possible $β$ Pic moving group member with colors and absolute magnitudes similar to $β$ Pic b and 2MASSJ0249-0557 c. $β$ Pic b is the first directly imaged planet to have a "twin," namely an object of comparable properties in the same stellar association. Such directly imaged objects provide a unique opportunity to measure atmospheric composition, variability, and rotation across different pathways of assembling planetary-mass objects from the same natal material.

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K2-231 b: A sub-Neptune exoplanet transiting a solar twin in Ruprecht 147

We identify a sub-Neptune exoplanet ($R_p = 2.5 \pm 0.2$ R$_\oplus$) transiting a solar twin in the Ruprecht 147 star cluster (3 Gyr, 300 pc, [Fe/H] = +0.1 dex). The ~81 day light curve for EPIC 219800881 (V = 12.71) from K2 Campaign 7 shows six transits with a period of 13.84 days, a depth of ~0.06%, and a duration of ~4 hours. Based on our analysis of high-resolution MIKE spectra, broadband optical and NIR photometry, the cluster parallax and interstellar reddening, and isochrone models from PARSEC, Dartmouth, and MIST, we estimate the following properties for the host star: $M_\star = 1.01 \pm 0.03$ M$_\odot$, $R_\star= 0.95 \pm 0.03$ R$_\odot$, and $T_{\rm eff} = 5695 \pm 50$ K. This star appears to be single, based on our modeling of the photometry, the low radial velocity variability measured over nearly ten years, and Keck/NIRC2 adaptive optics imaging and aperture-masking interferometry. Applying a probabilistic mass-radius relation, we estimate that the mass of this planet is $M_p = 7 +5 -3$ M$_\oplus$, which would cause a RV semi-amplitude of $K = 2 \pm 1$ m s$^{-1}$ that may be measurable with existing precise RV facilities. After statistically validating this planet with BLENDER, we now designate it K2-231 b, making it the second sub-stellar object to be discovered in Ruprecht 147 and the first planet; it joins the small but growing ranks of 23 other planets found in open clusters.

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Zodiacal Exoplanets in Time (ZEIT) VII: A Temperate Candidate Super-Earth in the Hyades Cluster

Transiting exoplanets in young open clusters present opportunities to study how exoplanets evolve over their lifetimes. Recently, significant progress detecting transiting planets in young open clusters has been made with the K2 mission, but so far all of these transiting cluster planets orbit close to their host stars, so planet evolution can only be studied in a high-irradiation regime. Here, we report the discovery of a long-period planet candidate, called HD 283869 b, orbiting a member of the Hyades cluster. Using data from the K2 mission, we detected a single transit of a super-Earth-sized (1.96 +/- 0.12 R_earth) planet candidate orbiting the K-dwarf HD 283869 with a period longer than 72 days. Since we only detected a single transit event, we cannot validate HD 283869 b with high confidence, but our analysis of the K2 images, archival data, and follow-up observations suggests that the source of the event is indeed a transiting planet. We estimated the candidate's orbital parameters and find that if real, it has a period P~100 days and receives approximately Earth-like incident flux, giving the candidate a 71% chance of falling within the circumstellar habitable zone. If confirmed, HD 283869 b would have the longest orbital period, lowest incident flux, and brightest host star of any known transiting planet in an open cluster, making it uniquely important to future studies of how stellar irradiation affects planetary evolution.

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Magnetic Inflation and Stellar Mass II: On the Radii of Single, Rapidly Rotating, Fully Convective M Dwarf Stars

Main sequence, fully-convective M dwarfs in eclipsing binaries are observed to be larger than stellar evolutionary models predict by as much as $10-15\%$. A proposed explanation for this discrepancy involves effects from strong magnetic fields, induced by rapid-rotation via the dynamo process. Although, a handful of single, slowly-rotating M dwarfs with radius measurements from interferometry also appear to be larger than models predict, suggesting that rotation or binarity specifically may not be the sole cause of the discrepancy. We test whether single, rapidly rotating, fully convective stars are also larger than expected by measuring their $R \sin i$ distribution. We combine photometric rotation periods from the literature with rotational broadening ($v \sin i$) measurements reported in this work for a sample of 88 rapidly rotating M dwarf stars. Using a Bayesian framework, we find that stellar evolutionary models underestimate the radii by $10-15\% \substack{+3 \\ -2.5}$, but that at higher masses ($0.18<M<0.4 M_{Sun}$) the discrepancy is only about $6\%$ and comparable to results from interferometry and eclipsing binaries. At the lowest masses ($0.08<M<0.18 M_{Sun}$), we find the discrepancy between observations and theory is $13-18\%$, and we argue that the discrepancy is unlikely to be due to effects from age. Furthermore, we find no statistically significant radius discrepancy between our sample and the handful of M dwarfs with interferometric radii. We conclude that neither rotation nor binarity is responsible for the inflated radii of fully convective M dwarfs, and that all fully-convective M dwarfs are larger than models predict.

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