Convective Stars Research Articles

The Character of M Dwarfs

M dwarfs dominate the stellar population, accounting for three of every four stars, the nearest of which is Proxima Centauri, the closest destination beyond our Solar System. These cool stars span large ranges in luminosities (one ten-thousandth to 6% L⊙) and temperatures (2,100–3,900 K) and have spectra dominated by absorption bands of titanium oxide (TiO) and, for the latest spectral types, vanadium oxide (VO). They have masses that span 0.075 to 0.61 M⊙, a factor of eight, which is comparable with a spread in masses for dwarf types mid-B through K. Unlike these more massive stars, in the age of the Universe no M dwarfs have evolved in any significant way. M dwarf systems are multiple roughly one-quarter of the time, with the closest binaries found in orbits that have been circularized via tides for orbital periods of about one week. Unlike any other type of main sequence star, there is a gap in the distribution of M dwarfs near masses of 0.35 M⊙ that pinpoints the separation of partially and fully convective stars, yet both types of M dwarfs are often active, showing both Hα in emission and flares. Many planets are found orbiting M dwarfs, and most of them are terrestrial or neptunian in size, rather than jovian, yet much more work remains to be done to characterize the exoplanet population. Overall, the Solar Neighborhood is dominated by M dwarfs that are likely orbited by many small, as yet unseen, planets—some of which may harbor life very near to that in our Solar System: ▪M dwarfs account for three of every four stars.▪M dwarf counts increase all the way to the end of the main sequence.▪M dwarfs are partially radiative at high masses and fully convective at low masses.

Magnetic field, magnetospheric accretion and candidate planet of the young star GM Aurigae observed with SPIRou

Abstract This paper analyses spectropolarimetric observations of the classical T Tauri star (CTTS) GM Aurigae collected with SPIRou, the near-infrared spectropolarimeter at the Canada–France–Hawaii Telescope, as part of the SLS and SPICE Large Programs. We report for the first time results on the large-scale magnetic field at the surface of GM Aur using Zeeman Doppler imaging. Its large-scale magnetic field energy is almost entirely stored in an axisymmetric poloidal field, which places GM Aur close to other CTTSs with similar internal structures. A dipole of about 730 G dominates the large-scale field topology, while higher-order harmonics account for less than 30 per-cent of the total magnetic energy. Overall, we find that the main difference between our three reconstructed maps (corresponding to sequential epochs) comes from the evolving tilt of the magnetic dipole, likely generated by non-stationary dynamo processes operating in this largely convective star rotating with a period of about 6 d. Finally, we report a 5.5σ detection of a signal in the activity-filtered radial velocity data of semi-amplitude 110 ± 20ms−1 at a period of 8.745 ± 0.009 d. If attributed to a close-in planet in the inner accretion disc of GM Aur, it would imply that this planet candidate has a minimum mass of 1.10 ± 0.30 MJup and orbits at a distance of 0.082 ± 0.002 au.

Characterising planetary systems with SPIRou: Temperate sub-Neptune exoplanet orbiting the nearby fully convective star GJ 1289 and a candidate around GJ 3378

We report the discovery of two new exoplanet systems around fully convective stars, found from the radial-velocity (RV) variations of their host stars measured with the nIR spectropolarimeter CFHT/SPIRou over multiple years. GJ 3378 b is a planet with minimum mass of 5.26−0.97+0.94 M⊕ on an eccentric 24.73-day orbit around an M4V star of 0.26 M⊙. GJ 1289 b has a minimum mass of 6.27 ± 1.25 M⊙ in a 111.74-day orbit, on a circular orbit around an M4.5V star of mass 0.21 M⊙. Both stars are in the solar neighbourhood, at 7.73 and 8.86 pc, respectively. The low-amplitude RV signals are detected after line-by-line post-processing treatment. These potential sub-Neptune class planets around cool stars may have temperate atmospheres and be interesting nearby systems for further studies. We also recovered the large-scale magnetic field of both stars, found to be mostly axisymmetric and dipolar, with polar strengths of 20–30 G and 200–240 G for GJ 3378 (in 2019–2021) and GJ 1289 (in 2022–2023), respectively. The rotation periods measured with the magnetic field differ from the orbital periods and, in general, stellar activity is not seen in the studied nIR RV time series of both stars. GJ 3378 b detections have not been confirmed by optical RVs and, therefore, they are solely considered a candidate for the present purposes.

Stellar flares are far-ultraviolet luminous

ABSTRACT We identify 182 flares on 158 stars within 100 pc of the Sun in both the near-ultraviolet (NUV; $1750\!-\!2750$ Å) and far-ultraviolet (FUV; $1350\!-\!1750$ Å) using high-cadence light curves from the Galaxy Evolution Explorer. Ultraviolet (UV) emission from stellar flares plays a crucial role in determining the habitability of exoplanetary systems. However, whether such UV emission promotes or threatens such life depends strongly on the energetics of these flares. Most studies assessing the effect of flares on planetary habitability assume a 9000 K blackbody spectral energy distribution that produces more NUV flux than FUV flux ($\mathcal {R} \equiv F_{\rm FUV} / F_{\rm NUV} \approx \frac{1}{6}$). Instead, we observe the opposite with the excess FUV reaching $\mathcal {R} \approx \frac{1}{2}\!-\!2$, roughly $3\!-\!12$ times the expectation of a 9000 K blackbody. The ratio of FUV to NUV time-integrated flare energies is 3.0 times higher on average than would be predicted by a constant 9000 K blackbody during the flare. Finally, we find that the FUV/NUV ratio at peak tentatively correlates (${\sim} 2 \sigma$ significance) both with total UV flare energy and with the G − RP colour of the host star. On average, we observe higher FUV/NUV ratios at peak in $E_{\text{UV}}\gt 10^{32}$ erg flares and in flares on fully convective stars.

Optically Quiet, But FUV Loud: Results from comparing the far-ultraviolet predictions of flare models with TESS and HST

Abstract The far-ultraviolet (FUV) flare activity of low-mass stars has become a focus in our understanding of the exoplanet atmospheres and how they evolve. However, direct detection of FUV flares and measurements of their energies and rates are limited by the need for space-based observations. The difficulty of obtaining such observations may push some works to use widely available optical data to calibrate multi-wavelength spectral models that describe UV and optical flare emission. These models either use single temperature blackbody curves to describe this emission, or combine a blackbody curve with archival spectra. These calibrated models would then be used to predict the FUV flare rates of low-mass stars of interest. To aid these works, we used TESS optical photometry and archival HST FUV spectroscopy to test the FUV predictions of literature flare models. We tested models for partially (M0-M2) and fully convective (M4-M5) stars, 40 Myr and field age stars, and optically quiet stars. We calculated FUV energy correction factors that can be used to bring the FUV predictions of tested models in line with observations. A flare model combining optical and NUV blackbody emission with FUV emission based on HST observations provided the best estimate of FUV flare activity, where others underestimated the emission at all ages, masses and activity levels, by up to a factor of 104 for combined FUV continuum and line emission and greater for individual emission lines. We also confirmed previous findings that showed optically quiet low-mass stars exhibit regular FUV flares.

The corona of a fully convective star with a near-polar flare

Context. In 2020, the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) observed a rapidly rotating M7 dwarf, TIC 277539431, producing a flare at 81° latitude, the highest latitude flare located to date. This is in stark contrast to solar flares that occur much closer to the equator, typically below 30°. The mechanisms that allow flares at high latitudes to occur are poorly understood. Aims. We studied five sectors of TESS monitoring, and obtained 36 ks of XMM-Newton observations to investigate the coronal and flaring activity of TIC 277539431. Methods. From the observations, we infer the optical flare frequency distribution; flare loop sizes and magnetic field strengths; the soft X-ray flux, luminosity, and coronal temperatures; as well as the energy, loop size, and field strength of a large flare in the XMM-Newton observations. Results. We find that the corona of TIC 277539431 does not differ significantly from other low-mass stars on the canonical saturated activity branch with respect to coronal temperatures and flaring activity, but shows lower luminosity in soft X-ray emission by about an order of magnitude, consistent with other late M dwarfs. Conclusions. The lack of X-ray flux, the high-latitude flare, the star’s viewing geometry, and the otherwise typical stellar corona taken together can be explained by the migration of flux emergence to the poles in rapid rotators like TIC 277539431 that drain the star’s equatorial regions of magnetic flux, but preserve its ability to produce powerful flares.

Supernova Explosions of the Lowest-mass Massive Star Progenitors

We here focus on the behavior of supernovae that technically explode in 1D (spherical symmetry). When simulated in 3D, however, the outcomes of representative progenitors of this class are quite different in almost all relevant quantities. In 3D, the explosion energies can be 2 to 10 times higher, and there are correspondingly large differences in the 56Ni yields. These differences between the 3D and 1D simulations reflect in part the relative delay to explosion of the latter and in the former the presence of protoneutron star convection that boosts the driving neutrino luminosities by as much as ∼50% at later times. In addition, we find that the ejecta in 3D models are more neutron-rich, resulting in significant weak r-process and 48Ca yields. Furthermore, we find that in 3D the core is an interesting, though subdominant, source of acoustic power. In summary, we find that though a model might be found theoretically to explode in 1D, one must perform supernova simulations in 3D to capture most of the associated observables. The differences between 1D and 3D models are just too large to ignore.

Long-term monitoring of large-scale magnetic fields across optical and near-infrared domains with ESPaDOnS, Narval, and SPIRou

Context. Dynamo models describing the generation of stellar magnetic fields for partly and fully convective stars are guided by observational constraints. Zeeman-Doppler imaging has revealed a variety of magnetic field geometries and, for fully convective stars in particular, a dichotomy: either strong, mostly axisymmetric, and dipole-dominated or weak, non-axisymmetric, and multipole-dominated. This dichotomy is explained either by dynamo bistability (i.e., two coexisting and stable dynamo branches) or by long-term magnetic cycles with polarity reversals, but there is no definite conclusion on the matter. Aims. Our aim is to monitor the evolution of the large-scale field for a sample of nearby M dwarfs with masses between 0.1 and 0.6 M⊙, which is of prime interest to inform distinct dynamo theories and explain the variety of magnetic field geometries studied in previous works. This also has the potential to put long-term cyclic variations of the Sun’s magnetic field into a broader context. Methods. We analysed optical spectropolarimetric data sets collected with ESPaDOnS and Narval between 2005 and 2016, and near-infrared SPIRou data obtained between 2019 and 2022 for three well-studied, active M dwarfs: EV Lac, DS Leo, and CN Leo. We looked for secular changes in time series of longitudinal magnetic field, width of unpolarised mean-line profiles, and large-scale field topology as retrieved with principal component analysis and Zeeman-Doppler imaging. Results. We retrieved pulsating (EV Lac), stable (DS Leo), and sine-like (CN Leo) long-term trends in longitudinal field. The width of near-infrared mean-line profiles exhibits rotational modulation only for DS Leo, whereas in the optical it is evident for both EV Lac and DS Leo. The line width variations are not necessarily correlated to those of the longitudinal field, suggesting complex relations between small- and large-scale field. We also recorded topological changes in the form of a reduced axisymmetry for EV Lac and transition from a toroidal-dominated to poloidal-dominated regime for DS Leo. For CN Leo, the topology remained predominantly poloidal, dipolar, and axisymmetric, with only an oscillation in field strength. Conclusions. Our results show a peculiar evolution of the magnetic field for each M dwarf individually, with DS Leo and EV Lac manifesting more evident variations than CN Leo. These findings confirm that M dwarfs with distinct masses and rotation periods can undergo magnetic long-term variations and suggest an underlying variety of cyclic behaviours of their magnetic fields.

The first low-mass eclipsing binary within the fully convective zone from TMTS

ABSTRACT We present a comprehensive photometric and spectroscopic analysis of the short-period (∼5.32 h) and low-mass eclipsing binary TMTSJ0803 discovered by Tsinghua-Ma Huateng Telescope for Survey (TMTS). By fitting the light curves and radial velocity data with the Wilson–Devinney code, we find that the binary is composed of two late spotted active M dwarfs below the fully convective boundary. This is supported by the discovery of a significant Balmer emission lines in the LAMOST spectrum and prominent coronal X-ray emission. In comparison with the typical luminosity of rapidly rotating fully convective stars, the much brighter X-ray luminosity (LX/Lbol = 0.0159 ± 0.0059) suggests the stellar magnetic activity of fully convective stars could be enhanced in such a close binary system. Given the metallicity of [M/H] = − 0.35 dex as inferred from the LAMOST spectrum, we measure the masses and radii of both stars to be M1 = 0.169 ± 0.010 M⊙, M2 = 0.162 ± 0.016 M⊙, R1 = 0.170 ± 0.006 R⊙, and R2 = 0.156 ± 0.006 R⊙, respectively. Based on the luminosity ratio from the light-curve modelling, the effective temperatures of two components are also estimated. In comparison with the stellar evolution models, the radii, and effective temperatures of two components are all below the isochrones. The radius deflation might be mainly biased by a small radial velocity (RV) data or (and) a simple correction on RVs, while the discrepancy in effective temperature might be due to the enhanced magnetic activity in this binary.

A hybrid discrete exterior calculus and finite difference method for anelastic convection in spherical shells

The present work develops, verifies, and benchmarks a hybrid discrete exterior calculus and finite difference (DEC-FD) method for density-stratified thermal convection in spherical shells. Discrete exterior calculus (DEC) is notable for its coordinate independence and structure preservation properties. The hybrid DEC-FD method for Boussinesq convection has been developed by Mantravadi et al. (2023). Motivated by astrophysics problems, we extend this method assuming anelastic convection, which retains density stratification; this has been widely used for decades to understand thermal convection in stars and giant planets. In the present work, the governing equations are splitted into surface and radial components and discrete anelastic equations are derived by replacing spherical surface operators with DEC and radial operators with FD operators. The novel feature of this work is the discretization of anelastic equations with the DEC-FD method and the assessment of a hybrid solver for density-stratified thermal convection in spherical shells. The discretized anelastic equations are verified using the method of manufactured solution (MMS). We performed a series of three-dimensional convection simulations in a spherical shell geometry and examined the effect of density ratio on convective flow structures and energy dynamics. The present observations are in agreement with the benchmark models.

Proto-neutron star convection and the neutrino-driven wind: implications for the νp-process

ABSTRACT Recent studies of the neutrino-driven wind from proto-neutron stars have indicated that the wind is likely proton rich for much of its lifetime, and the high flux of neutrinos can induce νp-process nucleosynthesis allowing for the formation of heavy elements. It has also been shown that gravito-acoustic waves, generated by convection within the proto-neutron star, can significantly alter the dynamics and nucleosynthesis in the wind. Therefore, we present a study of the effects of convection-driven waves on the nucleosynthesis in proton-rich neutrino-driven winds, focusing on the νp-process. We find that wave effects can strongly impact νp-process nucleosynthesis even at wave luminosities a factor of 10−5 smaller than the total neutrino luminosity. The momentum flux of the waves accelerates the wind, reducing the net neutrino heating and the persistent neutron abundance created by p($\bar{\nu }_\mathrm{ e},e^+$), which impedes νp-process nucleosynthesis. However, this effect is generally counteracted by the effects of waves on seed nucleus formation, as the acceleration of the wind and the heating that occurs as these waves shock both favour a more α-rich environment with very little heavy seed nucleus formation. Overall, higher wave luminosities correlate (albeit non-monotonically) with heavier element νp-processing, up to A ≈ 200 in some cases. At very high wave luminosities (≳10−3Lν), early shock heating by the waves disrupts α recombination, and drives a suppressed, fast-outflow r-process proceeding up to A ≈ 200. This occurs despite an assumed neutrino spectrum that predicts a proton-rich wind with equilibrium Ye = 0.6.

Magnetized Fingering Convection in Stars

Fingering convection (also known as thermohaline convection) is a process that drives the vertical transport of chemical elements in regions of stellar radiative zones where the mean molecular weight increases with radius. Recently, Harrington & Garaud used three-dimensional direct numerical simulations (DNS) to show that a vertical magnetic field can dramatically enhance the rate of chemical mixing by fingering convection. Furthermore, they proposed a so-called “parasitic saturation” theory to model this process. Here, we test their model over a broad range of parameter space, using a suite of DNS of magnetized fingering convection, varying the magnetic Prandtl number, magnetic field strength, and composition gradient. We find that the rate of chemical mixing measured in the simulations is not always predicted accurately by their existing model, in particular when the magnetic diffusivity is large. We then present an extension of the Harrington & Garaud model which resolves this issue. When applied to stellar parameters, it recovers the results of Harrington & Garaud except in the limit where fingering convection becomes marginally stable, where the new model is preferred. We discuss the implications of our findings for stellar structure and evolution.

In This Day and Age: An Empirical Gyrochronology Relation for Partially and Fully Convective Single Field Stars

Gyrochronology, the field of age dating stars using mainly their rotation periods and masses, is ideal for inferring the ages of individual main-sequence stars. However, due to the lack of physical understanding of the complex magnetic fields in stars, gyrochronology relies heavily on empirical calibrations that require consistent and reliable stellar age measurements across a wide range of periods and masses. In this paper, we obtain a sample of consistent ages using the gyro-kinematic age-dating method, a technique to calculate the kinematics ages of stars. Using a Gaussian process model conditioned on ages from this sample (∼1–14 Gyr) and known clusters (0.67–3.8 Gyr), we calibrate the first empirical gyrochronology relation that is capable of inferring ages for single, main-sequence stars between 0.67 and 14 Gyr. Cross-validating and testing results suggest our model can infer cluster and asteroseismic ages with an average uncertainty of just over 1 Gyr, and the inferred ages for wide binaries agree within 0.83 Gyr. With this model, we obtain gyrochronology ages for ∼100,000 stars within 1.5 kpc of the Sun with period measurements from Kepler and Zwicky Transient Facility and 384 unique planet host stars. A simple code is provided to infer gyrochronology ages of stars with temperature and period measurements.

On the Possibility of an Upper Limit on Magnetically Induced Radius Inflation in Low-mass Stars

The radii of low-mass stars are observed to be inflated above standard model predictions, especially in magnetically active stars. Typically, the empirical relative radius inflations ΔR/R are ≤10% but in (rare) cases may be ≥20%. Our magneto-convective stellar models have already replicated many empirical ΔR/R values. Here, we ask: is there any theoretical upper limit on the amount of such inflation? We use our magneto-convective model to compute ΔR/R using empirically plausible values of the surface field strength parameter δ. Inside each model, the maximum internal field is set to a particular value: B ceil = 10, or 100 kG, or 1 MG. When B ceil = 10 kG, peak inflation with ΔR/R ≈ 90% occurs in stars with masses of 0.7 M ⊙. With B ceil = 100 kG, peak inflation with ΔR/R ≈ 140% occurs in stars with M ≈ 0.5 M ⊙. But with B ceil = 1 MG, we find no peak in ΔR/R as a function of δ; instead, the larger δ is, the larger ΔR/R becomes, reaching 300%–350% in the case of the largest δ considered. Thus, magneto-convective modeling can accommodate ΔR/R values which are considerably larger than any reported empirical inflations. We find that a maximum occurs in ΔR/R as a function of δ only in model stars where the field reaches its maximum strength B ceil inside the convective envelope. Moreover, our models of completely convective stars undergo smaller amounts of relative radius inflation than models with radiative cores, a result consistent with some previous reports.

Evidence for saturated and disrupted magnetic braking from samples of detached close binaries with M and K dwarfs

Context. Recent observations of close detached eclipsing M and K dwarf binaries have provided substantial support for magnetic saturation when stars rotate sufficiently fast, leading to a magnetic braking (MB) torque proportional to the spin of the star. Aims. We investigated here how strong MB torques need to be to reproduce the observationally inferred relative numbers of white dwarf plus M dwarf post-common-envelope binaries under the assumption of magnetic saturation. Methods. We carried out binary population simulations with the BSE code adopting empirically derived inter-correlated main-sequence binary distributions as initial binary populations and compared the simulation outcomes with observations. Results. We found that the dearth of extreme mass ratio binaries in the inter-correlated initial distributions is key to reproduce the large fraction of post-common-envelope binaries hosting low-mass M dwarfs (∼0.1 − 0.2 M⊙). In addition, orbital angular momentum loss rates due to MB should be high for M dwarfs with radiative cores and orders of magnitude smaller for fully convective stars to explain the observed dramatic change of the fraction of short-period binaries at the fully convective boundary. Conclusions. We conclude that saturated but disrupted, that is, dropping drastically at the fully convective boundary, MB can explain the observations of both close main-sequence binaries containing M and K dwarfs and post-common-envelope binaries. Whether a similar prescription can explain the spin down rates of single stars and of binaries containing more massive stars needs to be tested.

The benchmark M dwarf eclipsing binary CM Draconis with TESS: spots, flares, and ultra-precise parameters

ABSTRACT A gold standard for the study of M dwarfs is the eclipsing binary CM Draconis. It is rare because it is bright (Jmag = 8.5) and contains twin fully convective stars on an almost perfectly edge-on orbit. Both masses and radii were previously measured to better than 1 per cent precision, amongst the best known. We use 15 sectors of data from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) to show that CM Draconis is the gift that keeps on giving. Our paper has three main components. First, we present updated parameters, with radii and masses constrained to previously unheard-of precisions of ≈0.06 and ≈0.12 per cent, respectively. Secondly, we discover strong and variable spot modulation, suggestive of spot clustering and an activity cycle of the order of ≈4 yr. Thirdly, we discover 163 flares. We find a relationship between the spot modulation and flare rate, with flares more likely to occur when the stars appear brighter. This may be due to a positive correlation between flares and the occurrence of bright spots (plages). The flare rate is surprisingly not reduced during eclipse, but one flare may show evidence of being occulted. We suggest that the flares may be preferentially polar, which has positive implications for the habitability of planets orbiting M dwarfs.

Solar Evolution Models with a Central Black Hole

Hawking proposed that the Sun may harbor a primordial black hole (BH) whose accretion supplies some of the solar luminosity. Such an object would have formed within the first 1 s after the Big Bang with the mass of a moon or an asteroid. These light BHs are a candidate solution to the dark matter problem, and could grow to become stellar-mass BHs if captured by stars. Here we compute the evolution of stars having such a BH at their center. We find that such objects can be surprisingly long-lived, with the lightest BHs having no influence over stellar evolution, while more massive ones consume the star over time to produce a range of observable consequences. Models of the Sun born about a BH whose mass has since grown to approximately 10−6 M ⊙ are compatible with current observations. In this scenario, the Sun would first dim to half its current luminosity over a span of 100 Myr as the accretion starts to generate enough energy to quench nuclear reactions. The Sun would then expand into a fully convective star, where it would shine luminously for potentially several gigayears with an enriched surface helium abundance, first as a sub-subgiant star, and later as a red straggler, before becoming a subsolar-mass BH. We also present results for a range of stellar masses and metallicities. The unique internal structures of stars harboring BHs may make it possible for asteroseismology to discover them, should they exist. We conclude with a list of open problems and predictions.

The EBLM Project—From False Positives to Benchmark Stars and Circumbinary Exoplanets

The EBLM project aims to characterise very-low-mass stars that are companions to solar-type stars in eclipsing binaries. We describe the history and motivation for this project, the methodology we use to obtain the precise mass, radius, and effective temperature estimates for very-low-mass M dwarfs, and review the results of the EBLM study and those from related projects. We show that radius inflation in fully convective stars is a more subtle effect than what was previously thought based on less precise measurements, i.e., the mass–radius–effective temperature relations we observe for fully convective stars in single-line eclipsing binaries show reasonable agreement with the theoretical models, particularly if we account for the M-dwarf metallicity, as inferred from the analysis of the primary star spectrum.

Statistical Signatures of Nanoflare Activity. III. Evidence of Enhanced Nanoflaring Rates in Fully Convective stars as Observed by the NGTS

Previous examinations of fully convective M-dwarf stars have highlighted enhanced rates of nanoflare activity on these distant stellar sources. However, the specific role the convective boundary, which is believed to be present for spectral types earlier than M2.5V, plays on the observed nanoflare rates is not yet known. Here, we utilize a combination of statistical and Fourier techniques to examine M-dwarf stellar lightcurves that lie on either side of the convective boundary. We find that fully convective M2.5V (and later subtypes) stars have greatly enhanced nanoflare rates compared with their pre-dynamo mode-transition counterparts. Specifically, we derive a flaring power-law index in the region of 3.00 ± 0.20, alongside a decay timescale of 200 ± 100 s for M2.5V and M3V stars, matching those seen in prior observations of similar stellar subtypes. Interestingly, M4V stars exhibit longer decay timescales of 450 ± 50 s, along with an increased power-law index of 3.10 ± 0.18, suggesting an interplay between the rate of nanoflare occurrence and the intrinsic plasma parameters, e.g., the underlying Lundquist number. In contrast, partially convective (i.e., earlier subtypes from M0V to M2V) M-dwarf stars exhibit very weak nanoflare activity, which is not easily identifiable using statistical or Fourier techniques. This suggests that fully convective stellar atmospheres favor small-scale magnetic reconnection, leading to implications for the flare-energy budgets of these stars. Understanding why small-scale reconnection is enhanced in fully convective atmospheres may help solve questions relating to the dynamo behavior of these stellar sources.

Simulations of dynamo action in slowly rotating M dwarfs: Dependence on dimensionless parameters

Aims. The aim of this study is to explore the magnetic and flow properties of fully convective M dwarfs as a function of rotation period Prot and magnetic Reynolds ReM and Prandlt numbers PrM. Methods. We performed three-dimensional simulations of fully convective stars using a star-in-a-box set-up. This set-up allows global dynamo simulations in a sphere embedded in a Cartesian cube. The equations of non-ideal magnetohydrodynamics were solved with the PENCIL CODE. We used the stellar parameters of an M5 dwarf with 0.21 M⊙ at three rotation rates corresponding to rotation periods (Prot) of 43, 61, and 90 days, and varied the magnetic Prandtl number in the range from 0.1 to 10. Results. We found systematic differences in the behaviour of the large-scale magnetic field as functions of rotation and PrM. For the simulations with Prot = 43 days and PrM ≤ 2, we found cyclic large-scale magnetic fields. For PrM > 2, the cycles vanish and the field shows irregular reversals. In the simulations with Prot = 61 days for PrM ≤ 2, the cycles are less clear and the reversal are less periodic. In the higher PrM cases, the axisymmetric mean field shows irregular variations. For the slowest rotation case with Prot = 90 days, the field has an important dipolar component for PrM ≤ 5. For the highest PrM the large-scale magnetic field is predominantly irregular at mid-latitudes, with quasi-stationary fields near the poles. For the simulations with cycles, the cycle period length slightly increases with increasing ReM.