XMM-Newton Spectroscopy of FK Comae
Philippe Gondoin, Christian Erd, David Lumb
Institute:
Space Science Department, European Space Agency
Contact Email: pgondoin@astro.estec.esa.nl
Abstract:
FK Comae was observed twice at two weeks interval in January 2001
by the XMM-N ewton space observatory. Analysis results suggest a
scenario where the corona of FK Comae is dominated by magnetic
structures similar in size to interconnecting loops between solar
active regions but significantly hotter. The interaction of
these structures themselves could explain the permanent flaring
activity on large scales that is responsible for heating FK Comae
plasma to high temperatures. During our observations, these flares
were not randomly distributed on the star surface but were partly
grouped within a large compact region of about 30 degree extent in
longitude. We conjecture that this coronal region with a large
density of flares could have been overlaying a large photospheric
spot similar to those mapped using Doppler imaging techniques.
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Manuscript submitted: 2001-September-7
"The Future of Cool-Star Astrophysics', 2003, Eds. A. Brown,
G. M. Harper, & T. R. Ayres.
Proceedings of 12th Cambridge Workshop on Cool Stars, Stellar Systems,
& The Sun,
© 2003 University of Colorado.