Monday, June 9 - Plenary Session

Name:  Adam Kraus

Affiliation:  Univ. Texas at Austin

Title:  Sixty Years (and Counting) of Stargazing: Synoptic Observations of Sun-Like Stars

Abstract:
Low-mass stars and brown dwarfs are the most numerous component in the Milky Way's stellar population and are rapidly growing in importance as exoplanet hosts. However, due to their intrinsic faintness and complex spectra, the properties of cool dwarfs are not calibrated to the same extent as their solar-mass brethren. I will review the current understanding of the fundamental properties of cool stars, beginning with relations between the most influential bulk properties (mass, radius, luminosity, temperature, age), and then touching on other parameters that modify or result from these properties (metallicity, rotation, activity, and detailed atmospheric features). Finally, I will conclude with a prospective look ahead at the cutting-edge results expected in the rest of this conference and beyond.