Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Preprint |
| Published: |
2024
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.03616 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1866914964780875776 |
|---|---|
| author | Günther, Hans Moritz Pasham, Dheeraj Binks, Alexander Czesla, Stefan Enoto, Teruaki Fausnaugh, Michael Hambsch, Franz-Josef Inoue, Shun Maehara, Hiroyuki Notsu, Yuta Robrade, Jan Schmitt, J. H. M. M. Schneider, P. C. |
| author_facet | Günther, Hans Moritz Pasham, Dheeraj Binks, Alexander Czesla, Stefan Enoto, Teruaki Fausnaugh, Michael Hambsch, Franz-Josef Inoue, Shun Maehara, Hiroyuki Notsu, Yuta Robrade, Jan Schmitt, J. H. M. M. Schneider, P. C. |
| contents | Many giant stars are magnetically active, which causes rotational variability, chromospheric emission lines, and X-ray emission. Large outbursts in these emission features can set limits on the magnetic field strength and thus constrain the mechanism of the underlying dynamo. HD~251108 is a Li-rich active K-type giant. We find a rotational period of 21.3~d with color changes and additional long-term photometric variability. Both can be explained with very stable stellar spots. We followed the decay phase of a superflare for 28 days with NICER and from the ground. We track the flare decay in unprecedented detail in several coronal temperature components. With a peak flux around $10^{34}$~erg~s$^{-1}$ (0.5-4.0~keV) and an exponential decay time of 2.2~days in the early decay phase, this is one of the strongest flares ever observed; yet it follows trends established from samples of smaller flares, for example for the relations between H$α$ and X-ray flux, indicating that the physical process that powers the flare emission is consistent over a large range of flare energies. We estimate a flare loop length about 2-4 times the stellar radius. No evidence is seen for abundance changes during the flare. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2410_03616 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2024 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | A long-duration superflare on the K giant HD 251108 Günther, Hans Moritz Pasham, Dheeraj Binks, Alexander Czesla, Stefan Enoto, Teruaki Fausnaugh, Michael Hambsch, Franz-Josef Inoue, Shun Maehara, Hiroyuki Notsu, Yuta Robrade, Jan Schmitt, J. H. M. M. Schneider, P. C. Solar and Stellar Astrophysics High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena Many giant stars are magnetically active, which causes rotational variability, chromospheric emission lines, and X-ray emission. Large outbursts in these emission features can set limits on the magnetic field strength and thus constrain the mechanism of the underlying dynamo. HD~251108 is a Li-rich active K-type giant. We find a rotational period of 21.3~d with color changes and additional long-term photometric variability. Both can be explained with very stable stellar spots. We followed the decay phase of a superflare for 28 days with NICER and from the ground. We track the flare decay in unprecedented detail in several coronal temperature components. With a peak flux around $10^{34}$~erg~s$^{-1}$ (0.5-4.0~keV) and an exponential decay time of 2.2~days in the early decay phase, this is one of the strongest flares ever observed; yet it follows trends established from samples of smaller flares, for example for the relations between H$α$ and X-ray flux, indicating that the physical process that powers the flare emission is consistent over a large range of flare energies. We estimate a flare loop length about 2-4 times the stellar radius. No evidence is seen for abundance changes during the flare. |
| title | A long-duration superflare on the K giant HD 251108 |
| topic | Solar and Stellar Astrophysics High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.03616 |