Stellar Rubella: Starspots on F, G and K Stars of Different Ages and Rotation Periods

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[21.01] Stellar Rubella: Starspots on F, G and K Stars of Different Ages and Rotation Periods

E.F. Guinan, L.E. DeWarf, S. Messina, and G.P. McCook ( Villanova University)

We present high precision photoelectric photometry of a sample of bright, single F, G, and K- type main-sequence and subgiant stars. Several of the stars are members of clusters or moving groups and thus have well determined ages. The majority of the stars are main-sequence to subgiant G-types stars that range in age from 70 Myr to 10 Gyr with directly measured rotation periods from 2.7 days up to 40-50 days. The observations have been carried out with Automatic Photometric Telescopes (APTs) located on Mt Hopkins, Arizona beginning in 1988; standard UBVRI \ or uvby \ filters were used. As expected, the youngest, fastest rotating stars in the sample typically have the largest, rotationally modulated starspot light variations. Some of the stars show relatively rapid changes in their light curves that are explained by differential rotation of the starspot groups. In addition, some of the stars that have been observed over several years show long-term, seasonal trends in their mean brightness levels that most likely arise from starspot cycles.

The starspot properties (areal coverage, distribution, and temperature) are determined from the modelling of the multiwavelength light curves. For certain stars, comparisons of these photospheric starspots properties to their corresponding chromospheric, transition region, and coronal activity indicators obtained in the UV , EUV \ and X-ray are presented and discussed. Analogies are also made to the magnetic properties of the Sun.

This research is supported by NSF AST 86-16362, NASA NAG5-2160, and NAG5-2494.

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