M dwarfs with masses 0.1<~M/M{sun}<~0.3 within 15pc

They also afford the most accessible near future opportunity to study the atmospheres of terrestrial planets. Because they are intrinsically low in luminosity, the identification of the nearest examples of these M dwarfs is essential for progress.

We present the volume-complete, all-sky list of 512 M dwarfs with masses 0.1<~M/M{sun}<~0.3 and with trigonometric distances placing them within 15pc ({pi}trig>~66.67mas) from which we have created a sample of 413 M dwarfs for spectroscopic study. We present the mass function for these 512 M dwarfs, which increases with decreasing stellar mass in linear mass space, but is flat in logarithmic mass space. As part of this sample, we present new VJRKCIKC photometry for 17 targets, measured as a result of the RECONS group's long-term work at the CTIO/SMARTS 0.9m telescope.