Kepler Flares. IV. A Comprehensive Analysis of the Activity of the dM4e Star GJ 1243
Abstract
We present a comprehensive study of the active dM4e star GJ 1243. We use previous observations and ground-based echelle spectroscopy to determine that GJ 1243 is a member of the Argus association of field stars, suggesting it is ∼ 30{--}50 {{Myr}} old. We analyze 11 months of 1 minute cadence data from Kepler, presenting Kepler flare frequency distributions, as well as determining correlations between flare energy, amplitude, duration, and decay time. We find that the exponent α of the power-law flare energy distribution varies in time, primarily due to completeness of sample and the low frequency of high-energy flares. We also find a deviation from a single power law at high energy. We use ground-based spectroscopic observations that were simultaneous with the Kepler data to provide simultaneous photometric and spectroscopic analysis of three low-energy flares, the lowest-energy dMe flares with detailed spectral analysis to date on any star. The spectroscopic data from these flares extend constraints for radiative hydrodynamic flare models to a lower energy regime than has previously been studied. We use this simultaneous spectroscopy and Kepler photometry to develop approximate conversions from the Kepler bandpass to the traditional U and B bands. This conversion will be a critical factor in comparing any Kepler flare analyses to the canon of previous ground-based flare studies.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- October 2016
- DOI:
- 10.3847/0004-637X/829/2/129
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1607.03886
- Bibcode:
- 2016ApJ...829..129S
- Keywords:
-
- stars: activity;
- stars: flare;
- stars: late-type;
- stars: low-mass;
- Astrophysics - Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
- E-Print:
- 13 pages, 12 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ