Distances and atmospheric parameters of MSU stars

Results show that theoretical models underestimate the radii and overestimate the effective temperatures of low-mass stars but yield luminosities that accord with observations. A hypothesis based upon the effects of stellar activity was put forward to explain the discrepancies.

Here we study the existence of the same trend in single active stars and provide a consistent scenario to explain systematic differences between active and inactive stars in the H-R diagram reported earlier. The analysis is done using single field stars of spectral types late-K and M and computing its bolometric magnitudes and temperatures through infrared colours and spectral indices. The properties of the stars in samples of active and inactive stars are compared statistically to reveal systematic differences.