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| Paper: |
Starspots and Stellar Rotation: Stellar Activity with Kepler |
| Volume: |
448, 16th Cambridge Workshop on Cool Stars, Stellar Systems, and the Sun |
| Page: |
177 |
| Authors: |
Walkowicz, L. M.; Basri, G. S. |
| Abstract: |
While the telescopic study of starspots dates back to Galileos observations of our own
Sun, recent space-borne photometric missions (such as MOST, CoRoT, and Kepler) are
opening a new window into understanding these ubiquitous manifestations of stellar activity. Because of the intimate link between stellar rotation and the generation of the magnetic
Želd, starspots cause a modulation in the lightcurve at the rate of stellar rotation. To complicate matters, stars rotate differentially, so the stellar rotation rate is not really best
characterized by a single value but rather by a range of rotation rates. Through high-
precision, long-term photometric monitoring of stars of different spectral types and activity
strengths, it is possible to determine stellar rotation rates and differential rotation measures.
In addition, modeling these lightcurves can tell us about the properties of stellar spots, such
as location, areal coverage, and lifetime. New observations provide precision photometry for a large
cohort of stars, ranging from Sun-like to rather different stellar properties, at a spread of
ages, making these lightcurves a powerful tool for understanding magnetic activity for stars
of all activity levels. Here, I will discuss how Kepler can provide new insight into the continuum of stellar activity
and our own Suns place amongst the stars. |
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