Stellar Coronas, X-rays, and Einstein

Observations of the sun at ultraviolet and X-ray wavelengths reveal a structure connected with the configuration of the solar magnetic field. The Einstein Observatory (HEAO 2), the first satellite to use an imaging X-ray telescope, searched for faint coronas on the basis of visual brightness and their proximity to the sun. Observed temperatures of transition regions between the chromosphere and the corona exceed 1,000,000 K. A possible correlation between X-ray luminosity and rotation rate has been observed and Einstein observations also indicated that stellar coronas showed changes in X-ray brightness during the most stable period of a star's life. Solar flares and transients, which generate substantial amounts of X-rays, radio waves and charged particles, are believed to be other properties of stellar coronas which change with age. Future missions such as NASA's Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer, the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility and Space Telescope will enable astronomers to greatly increase their sampling of stellar coronas available for study. Observations also suggest the early development of a strong stellar dynamo due to X-ray activity in pre-main-sequence objects. It is hoped that the study of activity cycles in other stars will yield a greater understanding of the dynamo theory.