Magnetic fields in the radiative-transport zone and the solar cycle

It is shown that a hypothetical relict magnetic field in the solar radiative-transport zone that penetrates into the convective zone would affect the solar dynamo, resulting in radical changes in the butterfly diagrams. This would transform the traveling waves of activity into standing waves. A comparison of our results with the well-known butterfly diagrams for the Sun gives an upper limit of the order of some tens G for the value of relict magnetic field penetrating into the solar convective zone. At the same time, it is not ruled out that such relict magnetic fields in other solar-type stars are strong enough to make the activity waves become standing waves.     

Patterns of activity in stars with cycles becoming established

Late-type stars with chromospheric and coronal activities exceeding those of the Sun and other stars with well-defined cycles are considered. These rotate more rapidly than stars with well established cycles; for single stars, this appears to be due to their younger ages. The spots on such stars cover several per cent of the total area, which is an order of magnitude higher than for the Sun at its activity maximum. Our wavelet analysis of the chromospheric-emission variability, which has been observed since 1965 in the framework of the HK project, indicates that the period of the axial rotation of some of these starts varies from year to year. This is most pronounced in two “Good” stars according to the classification of Baliunas et al., HD 149661 and HD 115404, and also in a star with a more complex variability, HD 101501. No similar effect is exhibited by the “Excellent” cyclic-activity stars. Such variations in the period can be observed during epochs of appreciable rotational modulations of the chromospheric-emission fluxes, most likely, immediately after the maximum of a long-period wave (cycle?). This seems to provide evidence for the existence of huge activity complexes in the chromospheres of these stars, whose longitudes remain virtually constant over several years; they drift from fairly high latitudes to the equator at speeds close to the value typical of sunspots. The observed period variations are most likely due to differential rotation of the same sign that is known for the Sun. Our results provide independent confirmation of similar conclusions obtained by us previously using zonal models for highly spotted stars. Other activity features of a selected star group and the implications of the results for the theory of stellar and solar dynamos are discussed.     

The flux deficits in star spots

The bolometric flux deficits of the photospheres of spotted stars are derived for the first time in the framework of zonal spottedness models for red dwarfs computed at the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory. The resulting flux deficits are compared to the estimated radiative losses from the chromospheres and coronas measured during quasi-simultaneous observations. A linear correlation is found between the logarithms of these quantities, with the Sun fitting these relations. Radiative losses from the outer stellar atmospheres in quiescence and during individual sporadic flares are significantly lower than the bolometric deficits of the spotted photospheres of active stars. This suggests that the flux deficit due to spots leads to global reconstruction of the atmospheres of red dwarfs, analogous to the local atmospheric reconstruction that occurs during solar and stellar flares. This process may be realized via the superposition of a large number of weak impulsive flares and other dynamic events, which develop on these stars and heat their coronas (i.e., in this view, microflaring is favored as the principal coronal heating mechanism for these stars). A brief analysis of the long-term variations in the chromospheric and photospheric radiation of F-K stars from the HK project and of the Sun suggests that such dynamical reconstruction of the outer atmosphere by energy associated with the flux deficit of the spotted photosphere occurs at times of increased surface activity in all F-M stars.     

The solar cycle from data on the large-scale surface magnetic field and solar-dynamo theory

Latitude-time (butterfly) diagrams of the large-scale solar magnetic field differ appreciably from the butterfly diagrams for sunspots. Tilted features corresponding to waves propagating from the middle latitudes to the equator are virtually absent from the diagrams for the large-scale magnetic field. The latitude-time diagram of the 22-year solar cycle based on data for the large-scale surface field appears as a checkerboard pattern rather than a traveling wave. Solutions describing similar behavior for the poloidal magnetic field are found for Parker’s solar-dynamo equations. These solutions agree with observations especially well if meridional circulation is added to the two sources generating the magnetic-field in this dynamo-differential rotation and mirror-asymmetric convection.     

The activity of late-type stars: the Sun among stars with cyclic activity

The coronal and chromospheric emission of several hundred late-type stars whose activity was recently detected are analyzed. This confirms the previous conclusion for stars of HK project that there exist three groups of objects: active red M dwarfs, G-K stars with cyclic activity, and stars exhibiting high but irregular activity. The X-ray fluxes, EUV-spectra, and X-ray cycles can be used to study the main property of stellar coronas—the gradual increase in the number of high-temperature (T ≥ 10 MK) regions in the transition from the Sun to cyclically active K dwarfs and more rapidly rotating F and G stars with irregular activity. The level of X-ray emission is closely related to the spottedness of the stellar surface. The correlation between the chromospheric and coronal emission is weak when the cycles are well-defined, but becomes strong when the activity is less regular. Unexpectedly, stars whose chromospheric activity is even lower than that of the Sun are fairly numerous. Common and particular features of solar activity among the activity of other cyclically active stars are discussed. Our analysis suggests a new view of the problem of heating stellar coronas: the coronas of stars with pronounced cycles are probably heated by quasistationary processes in loops, while prolonged nonstationary coronal events are responsible for heating the coronas of F and G stars with high but irregular activity.     

Can Superflares Occur on the Sun? A View from Dynamo Theory

Recent data from the Kepler mission has revealed the occurrence of superflares in Sun-like stars which exceed by far any observed solar flares in released energy. Radionuclide data do not provide evidence for occurrence of superflares on the Sun over the past eleven millennia. Stellar data for a subgroup of superflaring Kepler stars are analysed in an attempt to find possible progenitors of their abnormal magnetic activity. A natural idea is that the dynamo mechanism in superflaring stars differs in some respect from that in the Sun. We search for a difference in the dynamo-related parameters between superflaring stars and the Sun to suggest a dynamo mechanism as close as possible to the conventional solar/stellar dynamo but capable of providing much higher magnetic energy. Dynamo based on joint action of differential rotation and mirror asymmetric motions can in principle result in excitation of two types of magnetic fields. First of all, it is well-known in solar physics dynamo waves. The point is that another magnetic configuration with initial growth and further stabilisation can also be excited. For comparable conditions, magnetic field of second configuration is much stronger than that of the first one just because dynamo does not spend its energy for periodic magnetic field inversions but uses it for magnetic field growth. We analysed available data from the Kepler mission concerning the superflaring stars in order to find tracers of anomalous magnetic activity. As suggested in a recent paper [1], we find that anti-solar differential rotation or anti-solar sign of the mirror-asymmetry of stellar convection can provide the desired strong magnetic field in dynamo models. We confirm this concept by numerical models of stellar dynamos with corresponding governing parameters. We conclude that the proposed mechanism can plausibly explain the superflaring events at least for some cool stars, including binaries, subgiants and, possibly, low-mass stars and young rapid rotators.     

Statistics of BY Draconis variables

A statistical survey of 113 spotted red dwarf stars that are known or suspected BY Draconis variables is presented. Typical indicators of stellar photometric activity—the amplitudes of the rotational modulation and seasonal mean brightness variations ΔV and Δ〈V〉—are compared to the global parameters of the stars. First, photometric variability shows a weak dependence on spectral type; second, ΔV and Δ〈V〉 grow with increasing stellar rotational velocity and decreasing Rossby number, with the dependences saturating at the critical values V _crit～15–20 km/s and Ro_crit～0.2–0.3; and third, the Sun as a star fits well into the derived relations. Thus, the spottedness of stars, like other indicators of stellar activity, depends on their global parameters.     

The evolution of solar-like activity of low-mass stars

An analysis of data on chromospheric activity obtained in the framework of exoplanet-search programs is presented. Observations of 1334 stars showing that the chromospheric activity of the Sun is clearly higher than for the vast majority of stars in the solar vicinity are used. A comparison of chromospheric and coronal activity led to the identification of a significant group of stars with a low level of chromospheric activity, whose coronal radiation spans wide ranges. There are reasons to believe that the chromospheric and coronal activities of one group of stars decrease simultaneously as the rotation decelerates, while, in stars of the other group, the chromospheric activity diminishes, but their coronas remain stronger than that of the Sun. Features of cyclic activity of the Sun are discussed. This enables us to associate differences in the behavior of the activity with different depths of the convective zones of stars of spectral classes earlier and later than G6. Arguments in favor of a two-layer dynamo and different roles of the large-scale and small-scale magnetic fields in the formation and evolution of activity are formulated. Age estimations based on activity levels (gyrochronology) must be carried out differently for these different groups of stars.     

G0-G5V stars and the Sun in the u vby system

The color indices of the Sun in the u vby system are calculated using the spectral energy distribution of Lockwood, Tug, and White. This allows errors in the absolute calibration to be excluded from the calculated color indices. The normal position of the Sun on the (v-b)?(b-y) and (v-y)?(b-y) color-color diagrams for early G stars testifies to the absence of any significant peculiarities in the Sun compared to other stars of similar spectral type. These diagrams can provide a useful tool in searches for candidate solar analogues among faint stars.     

Broad-band multicolor photometry and polarimetry of spotted stars

We have confirmed the BY Dra-type variability of the active spotted stars MS Ser, LQ Hya, VY Ari, and EK Dra using simultaneous UBVRI photometric and polarimetric observations. We have also reliably detected the intrinsic linear polarization of their radiation and its rotational modulation in U due to the inhomogeneous distribution of active magnetized regions over the surfaces of the stars. Modeling of the linear polarization based on the Zeeman effect indicates that all the stars display strong local magnetic fields (about 2 kG, similar to those in sunspots), with filling factors of up to 40% of the total stellar surface. The magnetized regions coincide with cool photospheric spots detected in photoelectric observations.     

Chemical composition of 15 photometric analogues of the Sun

The results of a spectroscopic analysis of 15 stars that are photometric analogues of the Sun are reported. The effective temperatures and surface gravities in the stellar atmospheres are derived from published photometric indices and the HIPPARCOS parallaxes. The abundances of 33 elements ranging from lithium to europium are analyzed based on high-dispersion spectra taken with the new Coudé echelle spectrometer of the Terskol Observatory in the northern Caucasus. The main parameters of most of the stars agree with the data of an [Fe/H] catalog published in 2001. Our study of the chemical compositions of the sample stars indicates that photometric analogues of the Sun can be divided into three groups according to their elemental abundances: six stars have solar chemical composition, four have abundance excesses, and five have some abundance deficiencies. The sample contains two metal-deficient subgiants (HD 133002 and HD 225239). Our results demonstrate that photometric similarity is not a sufficient criterion to consider a star as solar analogue. When several criteria, including chemical composition, are simultaneously taken into account, only four stars from the sample can be considered true solar analogues: HD 10307, HD 34411, HD 146233 (18 Sco), and HD 186427 (16 Cyg B). These results confirm the previously published suggestion that 18 Sco is the most probable twin of the Sun: essentially all the parameters of the two stars coincide within the errors.     

Estimation of a star’s radius from its effective temperature and surface gravity taking into account stellar evolution

A method for determining the radius of a star based on its effective temperature and surface gravity together with computations of the star’s structure and evolution is proposed. Rotating and nonrotating stellar models are considered, making it possible to take into account uncertainties associated with the lack of data on the rotational velocities of the stars considered. Each point of an evolutionary track is assigned a weight in accordance with the rate of the stellar evolution and the initial mass function. This enables a more correct estimation of the stellar radius. The method is used to calculate the radius corresponding to the effective temperature and surface gravity obtained from theoretical spectra derived from model stellar atmospheres. This makes it possible to calculate not only the color indices, but also the brightness of the star, enabling estimation of the distance to the star based on photometric observations. The method has been tested and its accuracy estimated using more than a hundred binaries and two dozen well-studied bright stars. The derived radius estimates for stars near the main sequence display systematic deviations that do not exceed 0.03%, and standard deviations for the relative errors below 3.87%. Data on well studied bright stars have enabled verification of the applicability of the method for the red giant branch, and hence proved the possibility of applying it in this densely populated area of the Hertzsprung–Russell diagram.     

Spots and active longitudes on the star V815 Her

We have analyzed light curves from the MOST satellite for the two active dwarfs ɛ Eri and κ Cet. Our maps of the stellar surface-temperature inhomogeneities were obtained with no a priori assumptions about the shape, configuration, and number of spots. We find variations of the surface-temperature inhomogeneities with time, also on time scales about equal to their rotation periods. We consider a model of a spotted star with two types of surface inhomogeneities—spots and related plage fields—and demonstrate that the best agreement between the theoretical and observed light curves is achieved for small ratios of the plage-field area to the area of cool spots. This conclusion indicates that long-term brightness variations of stars younger than the Sun are mainly due to variable spots on their surfaces, while the contribution from plage fields becomes more significant for older stars.     

The rotation of the Sun as a star from the green-line emission of the entire corona

A new representation for the database created by J. Sykora on the 5303 Å Fe XIV line emission observed from 1939 to 2001 is proposed. Observations of the corona at an altitude of 60″ above the limb reduced to a uniform photometric scale provide estimates of the emission of the entire visible solar surface. It is proposed to use the resulting series of daily measurements as a new index of the solar activity, GLSun (The Green-Line Sun). This index is purely observational and is free of the model-dependent limitations imposed on other indices of coronal activity. GLSun describeswell both the cyclic activity and the rotational modulation of the brightness of the corona of the Sun as a star. The GLSun series was subject to a wavelet analysis similar to that applied to long-term variability in the chromospheric emission of late-type active stars. We obtain that the brightness inhomogeneities in the solar corona rotate more slowly during epochs of high activity than their average rotational rate over the entire time observations. The time interval of slower rotation of the inhomogeneities is close to the epoch when the Sun’s field represents a horizontal magnetic dipole in each activity cycle, but is somewhat longer than the duration of the polarity reversal in both hemispheres. The difference between the periods for the slower and mean rotation exceeds three days, as is typical for some stars with higher but less regular activity than solar one. The importance of these findings for dynamo theory for the origin and evolution of the magnetic fields of the Sun and other late-type stars is briefly discussed.     

Analysis of MOST light curves of the active stars <Emphasis Type="Italic">ɛ</Emphasis> Eri AND <Emphasis Type="Italic">κ</Emphasis> Cet

We have analyzed light curves from the MOST satellite for the two active dwarfs ? Eri and κ Cet. Our maps of the stellar surface-temperature inhomogeneities were obtained with no a priori assumptions about the shape, configuration, and number of spots. We find variations of the surface-temperature inhomogeneities with time, also on time scales about equal to their rotation periods. We consider a model of a spotted star with two types of surface inhomogeneities—spots and related plage fields—and demonstrate that the best agreement between the theoretical and observed light curves is achieved for small ratios of the plage-field area to the area of cool spots. This conclusion indicates that long-term brightness variations of stars younger than the Sun are mainly due to variable spots on their surfaces, while the contribution from plage fields becomes more significant for older stars.     

Spots on the surfaces of late-type stars

The spottedness of two stars characterized by significant photometric variability is studied using published data: the recently discovered variable ASAS 063656-0521.0, whose V variability reaches 0.8 ^m , and XXTri (HD12545), which is among the most active RSCVn stars (in 1997–1998, the amplitude of its V variability was 0.63 ^m ). The spots cover up to 44% of the total visible surface S of ASAS 063656-0521.0. The mean estimated spottedness of XX Tri was 32%, and varied from29% to 36%. An analysis of the dependence of the spottedness on the properties of spotted stars, primarily their effective temperatures, is also presented. A modification of a simplifiedmethod for estimating the spottedness S, i.e., the fractional surface area of the spots, is applied to a sample of 48 late-type stars. The dependences of the spottedness on the effective temperature of the stars and the rotational velocity projected onto the line of sight are derived. Two groups of objects can be distinguished. The first contains stars displaying the typical dependence of S on the effective temperature (their maximum value of S is 20–25% for stars with temperatures 4500–5000 K, and S decreases for solar-type stars and cool M dwarfs). The second group is formed of the most active stars, which have temperatures of 3700–5200 K and S values from 25% to 50%. Our preliminary conclusion is that spottedness is not related to the period of the stellar rotation. The previously studied variable V410 Tau is used to consider the shortcomings of the method applied compared to the results of light-curve modeling.     

Quasiperiodic oscillations in the atmospheres of the Sun,Earth, and planets

The published data on long-term observations on cycles of the activity of the Sun and stars of late spectral classes (F, G, K) were analyzed. Quasiperiodic oscillations (QPO) in solar activity with periods varying from 1.8 (7-year cycles) to 12.5 years (24-year cycles) were revealed for the first time. A high degree of correlation between QPO periods and long-term cycles of variations in the activity of the Sun and stars was revealed.     

Long-term variations in the spottedness of BY Dra M dwarfs

The results of a spottedness study for twelve red dwarf stars covering several decades and based on a vast amount of photometric observations are presented. The analysis makes use of multicolor (UBV RI) photometric monitoring of ten of these stars since 1991 at the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory, as well as data from the literature. The spottedness parameters for selected active BY Dra red dwarfs have been refined using an improved zonal model for the spotted stellar atmospheres to allow for the possible presence of two active longitudes on the stars. Time variations in the spot activity of these systems are analyzed in order to look for possible cycles. Three of the stars show a drift of their spots in the latitude towards the stellar poles; however, the magnitude of this latitude drift is a factor of two to three lower than the analogous value for sunspots. All the stars except for YZ CMi display relationships between the area of the spots and their latitude, with correlation coefficients R from 0.67 to 0.97. Evidence for the presence of activity cycles with durations from 25 to 40 years is found for six stars, which are characterized by synchronous variations in the areas and latitudes of their spots, as well as of the overall photometric brightness.     

太阳系演化中的地球和月球起源(英文)

宇宙中恒星的演化始于巨星的形成 ,后者的质量是太阳系的数百倍 ,寿命估计为数百万年。重元素合成于巨星的内部。它们控制了巨星爆炸过程中 (超新星 )形成的气态云和盘状物的冷凝加速度。冷凝和旋转的加速导致后代恒星质量越来越小 ,寿命越来越长 ,直到形成像太阳这样的小星体 ,其质量为 1.989× 10 30 kg ,寿命已有几十亿年。这些小恒星的形成是冷凝过程中产生的水成冰氢星子不断聚集的结果。上一代巨星的原始星盘中的物质只有一小部分参与了冰氢星子的形成。这些星体形成于致密、高速旋转的原始恒星星盘中 ,周围环绕着巨行星和褐矮星。由于星体达到恒星状态 ,它们开始影响原恒星盘 ,结果导致星体相互分散 ,同时 ,最近的巨星发生表面去气作用。后者可以从巨星到恒星的质量衰减得到证实。UpsilonAndromedae、5 5Cancri和HD16 84 4 3等天体的巨行星记载了这样的事实。太阳系中的表面去气作用主要反映在近太阳巨星的流体外壳完全消失。由于流体外壳消失 ,铁硅酸盐熔融核暴露地表 ,形成小的类地行星。木星也经历过表面去气作用 ,依据是木星具有很高的平均密度 (1.3g cm3) ,几乎是土星密度 (0 .7g cm3)的两倍。因此 ,类地行星的形成经历了两个阶段 :原行星 (其父巨星具有重的熔融核 )和正常行星 (在其父行星     

Estimation of the radius of a star based on its effective temperature and surface gravity

Amethod for determining the radius of a star using its effective temperature and surface gravity is proposed. The method assumes that the relationship between the radius, effective temperature, and surface gravity can be approximated using models for the internal structure and evolution of the star. The method is illustrated using the Geneva–Toulouse evolutionary computations for two metal abundances—solar and one-tenth of solar. Analysis of the systematic errors shows that the accuracy of the method is better than 10% over most part of the Hertzsprung–Russell diagram, and is about 5% for main-sequence stars. The maximum relative systematic error due to the simplifications underlying the method is about 15%. A test using eclipsing binaries confirms the viability of the proposed method for estimating stellar radii. In the region of the main sequence, systematic deviations do not exceed 2%, and the relative standard deviation is ≤4.7%. It is expected that th maximum relative error over the rest of the Hertzsprung–Russell diagram will likewise be close to the systematic error, about 15–20%. The method is applied to estimate the radii of model stellar atmospheres. Such estimates can be used to synthesize the color index and luminosity of a star. The method can be used whenever accuracies of about 10% in the estimated stellar radius and luminosity are acceptable.