2006/10/19 by B. Stelzer, J. H. M. M. Schmitt, G. Micela +1 · 1 citation
Physics and Astronomy · #Astronomy #Astrophysics #Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies #Flare #Flare star #K-type main-sequence star #Light curve #Magnetic reconnection #Optics #Physics #Plasma #RADIUS #Radiative transfer #Solar and Space Plasma Dynamics #Stars #Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies #T Tauri star #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20066488
accepted for publication in A&A Letters
arxiv created 2006/10/19 · openalex publication_date 2006/11/02 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
Cool stars are known to produce flares probably as a result of the magnetic reconnection in their outer atmospheres. We present simultaneous XMM-Newton optical V band and X-ray observations of the M8 dwarf LP 412-31. During the observation a giant flare occurred, with an optical amplitude of 6 mag and total energy of erg in both the V band and soft X-rays. Both flare onset and flare decay were completely covered in both wavebands with a temporal resolution of 20 s, allowing determination of the flare time scales, as well as a study of the temperature evolution of the flaring plasma. The data are consistent with an impulsive energy release followed by radiative cooling without any further energy release during the decay phase. Our analysis suggests that the optical flare originates from a small fraction of the surface of LP 412-31, while the characteristic scale size of the flaring X-ray plasma is of the order of the stellar radius or larger. The absence of any small-scale variability in the light curve suggests a non-standard flare number energy distribution.