No Arabic abstract
We present the results of contemporaneous spectroscopic and photometric monitoring of the young solar-type star HD171488 (Prot~1.337 d) aimed at studying surface inhomogeneities at photospheric/chromospheric levels. Echelle FOCES spectra (R~40000) and Johnson photometry have been performed in 2006. Spectral type, rotational velocity, metallicity, and gravity were determined using a code developed by us. The metallicity was measured from the analysis of iron lines. The spectral subtraction technique was applied to the most relevant chromospheric diagnostics included in the FOCES spectral range (CaII IRT, Halpha, HeI-D3, Hbeta, CaII H&K). A model with two large high-latitude spots is sufficient to reproduce the B/V light curves and the radial velocity modulation, if a temperature difference between photosphere and spots of 1500 K is used. A Doppler imaging analysis of photospheric lines confirms a similar spot distribution. With the help of an analogous geometric two-spot model, we are able to reproduce the modulations in the residual chromospheric emissions adopting different values of ratios between the flux of plages and quiet chromosphere (5 for Halpha and 3 for CaII). Facular regions of solar type appear to be the main responsible for the modulations of chromospheric diagnostics. Both the spot/plage model and the cross-correlation between the light curve and the chromospheric line fluxes display a lead effect of plages with respect to spots (20-40 deg in longitude). The active regions of the rapidly rotating star HD171488 are similar to the solar ones in some respect, because the spot temperature is close to that of sunspot umbrae and the plage flux-contrast is consistent with the average solar values. The main differences with respect to the Sun are larger sizes and higher latitudes.
We identify a set of 18 solar analogs among the seismic sample of solar-like stars observed by the Kepler satellite rotating between 10 and 40 days. This set is constructed using the asteroseismic stellar properties derived using either the global oscillation properties or the individual acoustic frequencies. We measure the magnetic activity properties of these stars using observations collected by the photometric Kepler satellite and by the ground-based, high-resolution Hermes spectrograph mounted on the Mercator telescope. The photospheric (Sph) and chromospheric (S index) magnetic activity levels of these seismic solar analogs are estimated and compared in relation to the solar activity. We show that the activity of the Sun is comparable to the activity of the seismic solar analogs, within the maximum-to-minimum temporal variations of the 11-year solar activity cycle 23. In agreement with previous studies, the youngest stars and fastest rotators in our sample are actually the most active. The activity of stars older than the Sun seems to not evolve much with age. Furthermore, the comparison of the photospheric, Sph, with the well-established chromospheric, S index, indicates that the Sph index can be used to provide a suitable magnetic activity proxy which can be easily estimated for a large number of stars from space photometric observations.
Magnetic activity in the photosphere and chromosphere of the M dwarf EY Dra is studied and possible correlations between the two are investigated using photometric observations in the V and R bands and optical and near infrared spectroscopy. The longitudinal spot configuration in the photosphere is obtained from the V band photometry, and the chromospheric structures are investigated using variations in the H alpha line profile and observations of the Paschen beta line. The shape of the V band light-curve indicates two active regions on the stellar surface, about 0.4 in phase apart. The spectroscopic observations show enhanced H alpha emission observed close to the phases of the photometrically detected starspots. This could indicate chromospheric plages associated with the photospheric starspots. Some indications of prominence structures are also seen. The chromospheric pressure is limited to logTR < -4 based on the non-detection of emission in the Paschen beta wavelength region.
We study a sample of 21 young and active solar-type stars with spectral types ranging from late F to mid K and characterize the behaviour of their activity. We apply the continuous period search (CPS) time series analysis method on 16 to 27 years of photometry to estimate the surface differential rotation and determine the existence and behaviour of active longitudes and activity cycles on the stars. We supplement the time series results by calculating new $log{R_{rm HK}}$ emission indices for the stars from high resolution spectroscopy. The photometric rotation period variations reveal a positive correlation between the relative differential rotation coefficient and the rotation period, but do not reveal any dependence of the differential rotation on the effective temperature of the stars. Secondary period searches reveal activity cycles in 18 of the stars and temporary or persistent active longitudes in 11 of them. The activity cycles fall into specific activity branches. We find a new split into sub-branches, indicating multiple simultaneously present cycle modes. Active longitudes appear to be present only on the more active stars. There is a sharp break at approximately $log{R_{rm HK}}=-4.46$ separating the less active stars with long-term axisymmetric spot distributions from the more active ones with non-axisymmetric configurations. In seven out of eleven of our stars with clearly detected long-term non-axisymmetric spot activity the estimated active longitude periods are significantly shorter than the mean photometric rotation periods. This systematic trend can be interpreted either as a sign of the active longitudes being sustained from a deeper level in the stellar interior than the individual spots or as azimuthal dynamo waves exhibiting prograde propagation.
We present multilevel radiative transfer modeling of the scattering polarization observed in the solar O I infrared triplet around 777 nm. We demonstrate that the scattering polarization pattern observed on the solar disk forms in the chromosphere, far above the photospheric region where the bulk of the emergent intensity profiles originates. We study the sensitivity of the polarization pattern to the thermal structure of the solar atmosphere and to the presence of weak magnetic fields (0.01 - 100 G) through the Hanle effect, showing that the scattering polarization signals of the oxygen infrared triplet encode information on the magnetism of the solar chromosphere.
Using a time series of high-resolution spectra and high-quality multi-colour photometry, we reconstruct surface maps of the primary component of the RS CVn type rapidly rotating eclipsing binary, SV Cam (F9V + K4V). We measure a mass ratio, q, of 0.641(2) using our highest quality spectra and obtain surface brightness maps of the primary component, which exhibit predominantly high-latitude spots located between 60-70-degree latitudes with a mean filling factor of about 35%. This is also indicated by the R-band light curve inversion, subjected to rigourous numerical tests. The spectral subtraction of the H-alpha line reveals strong activity of the secondary component. The excess H-alpha absorption detected near the secondary minimum hints to the presence of cool material partially obscuring the primary star. The flux ratios of Ca II IRT excess emission indicate that the contribution of chromospheric plage regions associated with star-spots is dominant, even during the passage of the filament-like absorption feature.