Searching for Nitrogen Features in Low-Resolution BOSS M Dwarf Spectra

Many globular clusters are host to two distinct stellar populations, where one population has enhanced nitrogen abundances. Through identifying nitrogen-rich stars in the nearby field, we can better understand the contribution of globular clusters to building up the Milky Way, particularly its stellar halo. Even though globular clusters are mostly populated by low-mass stars, specifically M dwarfs, no nitrogen-enhanced field M dwarfs have been detected to date. As a result, we are searching for nitrogen features in M dwarf spectra that have been observed with the BOSS spectrographs as part of SDSS-V, taking advantage of the wide optical wavelength range (3650 - 9500 Å) and large sample size. Given that M dwarf spectra are dominated by molecular features, most notably TiO and VO, we use data-driven methods, combining observations and forward models, to categorize the most prominent absorption features. In order for differences in absorption features to be independent of changes in temperature and surface gravity, we sample field M dwarfs from small color-magnitude boxes along a Gaia color-magnitude diagram and compare observations with synthetic spectra. In this poster, we identify features that trace nitrogen enhancement in M dwarf spectra, which will help us find candidate cluster stars in the future.