English

Starspots, chromospheric emission lines, and flares of zero-age main-sequence stars

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics 2022-09-14 v2 Earth and Planetary Astrophysics

Abstract

Zero-age main-sequence (ZAMS) stars are considered to have enormous starspots and show strong chromospheric emission lines because of their strong surface magnetic field. We discuss the dynamo activities of ZAMS stars with respect to their periodic light variation caused by a starspot and with respect to the strength of the chromospheric emission lines. The light curves of 3333 ZAMS stars in IC 2391 and IC 2602 were obtained from \textit{TESS} photometric data. The light curves can be grouped into the following four categories: single frequency, possible shape changer, beater, and complex variability. The amplitudes of the light curves are 0.0010.145mag0.001-0.145\,\mathrm{mag}, similar to those of ZAMS stars in Pleiades. The starspot coverages are 0.121%0.1-21\%. We found that the light variations and Ca\,\emissiontype{II} emission line strength of ZAMS stars in IC 2391, IC 2602, and the Pleiades cluster are as large as those of the most active superflare stars and two orders larger than those of the Sun, and are located on the extensions of the superflare stars. These results suggest that superflare stars link the properties of the Sun to those of the ZAMS stars of ages between 3030 and 120Myr120\,\mathrm{Myr}. ZAMS stars with a single frequency or possible shape change in the light curve tend to have both large light variation, indicating large spot coverage, and saturated Ca\,\emissiontype{II} emission line strength. ZAMS stars with beat or complex variability have small spot coverage and a faint Ca\,\emissiontype{II} emission line. We also detected 2121 flares in the \textit{TESS} light curves of 1212 ZAMS stars in IC 2391 and IC 2602, where most of these stars have saturated chromospheric Ca\,\emissiontype{II} emission lines. The energies of the flares are estimated to be 10331035erg\sim 10^{33}-10^{35}\,\mathrm{erg}, which is comparable with the energy of a superflare.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2208.05175,
  title  = {Starspots, chromospheric emission lines, and flares of zero-age main-sequence stars},
  author = {Mai Yamashita and Yoichi Itoh and Yumiko Oasa},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2208.05175},
  year   = {2022}
}

Comments

Accepted for publication in PASJ