Catalog of 2612 M dwarfs from LAMOST

A search of the commissioning data, acquired in 2009-2010, yields the identification of 2612 late-K and M dwarfs. The template fit method also provides spectral classification to half a subtype, classifies the stars along the dwarf-subdwarf (dM/sdM/esdM/usdM) metallicity sequence, and provides improved metallicity/gravity information on a finer scale.

The automated search and classification is performed using a set of cool star templates assembled from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey spectroscopic database. We show that the stars can be efficiently classified despite shortcomings in the LAMOST commissioning data which include bright sky lines in the red. In particular we find that the absolute and relative strengths of the critical TiO and CaH molecular bands around 7000{AA} are cleanly measured, which provides accurate spectral typing from late-K to mid-M, and makes it possible to estimate metallicity classes in a way that is more efficient and reliable than with the use of spectral indices or spectral-index based parameters such as {zeta}_TiO/CaH_.