X-ray spectra and the rotation-activity connection of RS CVn binaries.
Abstract
Results from a survey of RS CVn binaries which were observed with the Imaging Proportional Counter (IPC) on board the Einstein Observatory are presented. Spectral analyses of the IPC pulse height spectra show that the coronae of RS CVn binaries always contain hot gas with temperatures 10 million K, similar to active late-type main sequence stars, and that at least 2 temperature components are necessary to account for the higher quality IPC spectra (when absorption is unimportant). It is argued that these bimodal temperature distributions indicate true distributions of emission measure vs temperature that are continuous (just as is the case for magnetically-confined coronal plasma loops observed on the Sun). It is shown that none of the derivable X-ray characteristics of RS CVn binaries depend on rotation period, implying that claims of period-activity relationships in RS CVn binaries are unfounded.
- Publication:
-
Cosmic X-Ray Spectroscopy Mission
- Pub Date:
- September 1985
- Bibcode:
- 1985ESASP.239..141M
- Keywords:
-
- Binary Stars;
- Stellar Spectra;
- X Ray Spectra;
- Coronal Loops;
- Heao 2;
- Spectrum Analysis;
- Stellar Coronas;
- Stellar Temperature;
- Temperature Distribution;
- Astronomy;
- RS CVn Stars:Stellar Activity;
- RS CVn Stars:Stellar Rotation;
- RS CVn Stars:Temperatures;
- RS CVn Stars:X Rays;
- Stellar Activity:RS CVn Stars;
- Stellar Rotation:RS CVn Stars;
- X Rays:RS CVn Stars