Computer Science
Scientific paper
Feb 1998
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1998taas....2..690w&link_type=abstract
NASA University Research Centers Technical Advances in Aeronautics, Space Sciences and Technology, Earth Systems Sciences, Globa
Computer Science
Chromosphere, Stellar Rotation, Statistical Distributions, Star Distribution, Light Curve, Data Acquisition, Photometry, Angular Momentum, Stellar Motions
Scientific paper
Observations of rapidly rotating chromospherically active stars provides the basis of the theory that these stars are highly spotted. Previously, we thought that the stars contained only two large spots at any one time. What appears to be two spots could actually be as many as 25 spots randomly distributed on a differentially rotting star as proposed. Initial tests of this random spot model produced all of the characteristic photometric variations of highly spotted stars. We have tested the random spot theory by measuring the differential rotation of the spots (k), the lifetimes (tau), and maximum and minimum periods of migration in approximately fifty data sets. These data sets consist of spots with an average lifetime of 2 years (cases 1- 21), 5 years (cases 26- 38), and 10 years (cases 39- 49), Each data set spans 14 years, which is comparable to real stars that have been observed for about 20 years. The derived spot lifetimes in the two-spot model increased with assumed lifetimes of the random spots; specifically, median two-spot lifetimes were 0.7, 2.2, and 2.3 years, respectively for the actual random spot lifetimes of 2, 5, and 10 years. A median two-spot lifetime of 1.5 years for some actual stars were found. Therefore, if the random spot model is correct, actual spot lifetimes are probably somewhat shorter than 5 years. Furthermore, this result shows that random spots with reasonable lifetimes can fully reproduce the persistence of spots in the actual stars' light curves.
Eaton Joel A.
Williams Tamara S.
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