We present moderate resolution near-infrared spectra in H,J and K band of M dwarf hosts to candidate transiting exoplanets discovered by NASA ’ s K2 mission .
We employ known empirical relationships between spectral features and physical stellar properties to measure the effective temperature , radius , metallicity , and luminosity of our sample .
Out of an initial sample of 56 late-type stars in K2 , we identify 35 objects as M dwarfs .
For that sub-sample , we derive temperatures ranging from 2,870 to 4,187 K , radii of 0.09 - 0.83 R _ { \odot } , luminosities of -2.67 < logL / L _ { \odot } < -0.67 and [ Fe/H ] metallicities between -0.49 and 0.83 dex .
We then employ the stellar properties derived from spectra , in tandem with the K2 lightcurves , to characterize their planets .
We report 33 exoplanet candidates with orbital periods ranging from 0.19 to 21.16 days , and median radii and equilibrium temperatures of 2.3 R _ { \oplus } and 986 K , respectively .
Using planet mass-radius relationships from the literature , we identify 7 exoplanets as potentially rocky , although we conclude that probably none reside in the habitable zone of their parent stars .