Poster Abstracts

Name/Affiliation:  Hilding Neilson (East Tennessee State University)

Title:  Linear Polarization and Convection in Cool Stars

Abstract:
Convection and granulation are fundamental challenges for understanding the structures and atmospheres of cool stars, especially M-type dwarf and giant stars. Convection and convective granulation create asymmetric structures in these stars leading to linearly-polarized radiation. Hence, polarization measurements can constrain convective properties of these stars. It is also important to understand the contribution of convection on polarization as polarization can indicate the presence of disks and planets as well. In this work, we explore how linear polarization varies as a function of convective cell properties in cool giant and dwarf star using semi-analytic models.