Study of a Non-Solar Star Flare
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Authors
Halderson, Eve
Issue Date
1996
Type
Thesis
Language
en_US
Keywords
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Abstract
Violent eruptions on the surfaces of stars, flares are among the most energetic stellar
phenomena. They can last anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours, and can emit
radiation from long-wavelength radio waves to gamma rays. Streams of high-energy
particles, some with velocities as great as one-third the speed of light, also result. Most stars
appear to flare at least to some degree. Flares on our own sun, for example, are notorious for
interfering with our radio signals. Because of the sun's proximity, it is relatively easy to get
data on solar flares. But what about studying flares on other stars? It turns out that the best
flares are observed on the M dwarfs-small, cool, reddish stars on the lower end of the main
sequence. Because they lend themselves so well to flare observation, such stars are often
referred to simply as "flare stars." For one thing, the faintness o fM dwarfs makes the
brightening due to a flare readily detectable. It would be hard to see flares at interstellar
distances on another moderately bright G-type star like the sun. On an M dwarf: however, a
flare with the energy of a large solar flare could cause a twofold increase in brightness.
Additionally, certain structural characteristics of M dwarfs may promote especially intense
flare activity. After obtaining some background information on stellar structure and activity,
we will investigate these characteristics by contrasting M dwarfs with the sun, a star about
which we know much more. The remainder of this paper will present data from a recent flare
on AD Leo, an M dwarf star, and discuss plans for future investigation.
Description
v, 37 p.
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