A BCool magnetic snapshot survey of solar-type stars

BCool Collaboration

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

140 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

We present the results of a major high-resolution spectropolarimetric BCool project magnetic survey of 170 solar-type stars. Surface magnetic fields were detected on 67 stars, with 21 classified as mature solar-type stars, a result that increases by a factor of 4 the number of mature solar-type stars on which magnetic fields have been observed. In addition, a magnetic fieldwas detected for 3 out of 18 of the subgiant stars surveyed. For the population of K-dwarfs, the mean value of |Bl| (|Bl|mean) was also found to be higher (5.7 G) than |Bl|mean measured for the G-dwarfs (3.2 G) and the F-dwarfs (3.3 G). For the sample as a whole, |Bl|mean increases with rotation rate and decreases with age, and the upper envelope for |Bl| correlates well with the observed chromospheric emission. Stars with a chromospheric S-index greater than about 0.2 show a high magnetic field detection rate and so offer optimal targets for future studies. This survey constitutes the most extensive spectropolarimetric survey of cool stars undertaken to date, and suggests that it is feasible to pursue magnetic mapping of a wide range of moderately active solar-type stars to improve our understanding of their surface fields and dynamos.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)3517-3536
Number of pages20
JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Volume444
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Mar 19 2014
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Line: profiles
  • Magnetic fields
  • Stars: activity

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
  • Space and Planetary Science

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