# # Program information file # PROGRAM_ID 2021B038 PROGRAM_TITLE A Survey for Low-mass Stars in Nearby Young Associations PROGRAM_INV1 Kevin Luhman PROGRAM_INV2 PROGRAM_INV3 PROGRAM_INV4 PROGRAM_INV5 PROGRAM_SCICAT galactic/interstellar medium PROGRAM_ABSTRACT_BEG The identification of young low-mass stars in the solar neighborhood is important for a wide variety of studies of the formation and early evolution of stars and planets [e.g., serving as targets for planet surveys]. The high-precision astrometry from the Gaia mission offers an unprecedented opportunity for finding new low-mass stars in the nearest young associations. We have used data from Gaia to identify candidate members of four nearby young associations [10-45 Myr]. Over the last year, we observed many of these candidates with SpeX and an optical spectrograph at CTIO to measure their spectral types and confirm that they have ages consistent with membership. We also have obtained iSHELL spectra for an initial sample of candidates that already had spectral types and confirmation of youth in order to measure their radial velocities. The latter will be combined with Gaia astrometry to compute UVW space velocities, which will provide confirmation of membership. We propose to use SpeX to observe the remaining northern targets that lack spectral classifications, and we propose to use iSHELL to observe additional candidates that have been confirmed as young over the last year. PROGRAM_ABSTRACT_END