Preferred longitudes in solar and stellar activity
Abstract
An analysis of the distribution of starspots on the surfaces of very active stars, such as RS CVn- FK Com-type stars as well as young solar analogs, reveals preferred longitudes of spot formation and their quasi-periodic oscillations, i.e. flip-flop cycles. A non-linear migration of the preferred longitudes suggests the presence of the differential rotation and variations of mean spot latitudes. It enables recovering stellar butterfly diagrams. Such phenomena are found to persist in the sunspot activity as well. A comparison of the observed properties of preferred longitudes on the Sun with those detected on more active stars leads to the conclusion that we can learn fine details of the stellar dynamo by studying the Sun, while its global parameters on the evolutionary time scale are provided by a sample of active stars.
- Publication:
-
Memorie della Societa Astronomica Italiana
- Pub Date:
- 2007
- Bibcode:
- 2007MmSAI..78..242B
- Keywords:
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- Stars: activity;
- starspots;
- Sun: activity;
- sunspots