Updated X-ray view of the Hyades cluster
Abstract
Aims: We revisit the X-ray properties of the main sequence Hyades members and the relation between X-ray emission and stellar rotation.
Methods: As an input catalog for Hyades members, we combined three recent Hyades membership lists derived from Gaia DR2 data that include the Hyades core and its tidal tails. We searched for X-ray detections of the main sequence Hyades members in the ROSAT all-sky survey, and pointings from ROSAT, the Chandra X-Ray Observatory, and XMM-Newton. Furthermore, we adopted rotation periods derived from Kepler's K2 mission and other resources.
Results: We find an X-ray detection for 281 of 1066 bona fide main sequence Hyades members and provide statistical upper limits for the undetected sources. The majority of the X-ray detected stars are located in the Hyades core because of its generally smaller distance to the Sun. F- and G-type stars have the highest detection fraction (72%), while K- and M-type dwarfs have lower detection rates (22%). The X-ray luminosities of the detected members range from ∼2 × 1027 erg s-1 for late M-type dwarfs to ∼2 × 1030 erg s-1 for active binaries. The X-ray luminosity distribution functions formally differ for the members in the core and tidal tails, which is likely caused by a larger fraction of field stars in our Hyades tails sample. Compared to previous studies, our sample is slightly fainter in X-rays due to differences in the Hyades membership list used; furthermore, we extend the X-ray luminosity distribution to fainter luminosities. The X-ray activity of F- and G-type stars is well defined at FX/Fbol ≈ 10-5. The fractional X-ray luminosity and its spread increases to later spectral types reaching the saturation limit (FX/Fbol ≈ 10-3) for members later than spectral type M3. Confirming previous results, the X-ray flux varies by less than a factor of three between epochs for the 104 Hyades members with multiple epoch data, significantly less than expected from solar-like activity cycles. Rotation periods are found for 204 Hyades members, with about half of them being detected in X-rays. The activity-rotation relation derived for the coeval Hyades members has properties very similar to those obtained by other authors investigating stars of different ages.
- Publication:
-
Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Pub Date:
- August 2020
- DOI:
- 10.1051/0004-6361/201937304
- arXiv:
- arXiv:2006.05135
- Bibcode:
- 2020A&A...640A..66F
- Keywords:
-
- open clusters and associations: individual: Hyades;
- X-rays: stars;
- stars: activity;
- stars: rotation;
- stars: coronae;
- stars: late-type;
- Astrophysics - Solar and Stellar Astrophysics;
- Astrophysics - Astrophysics of Galaxies
- E-Print:
- Accepted for publication in A&