Coronal Emission Research Articles

Study of the Green Coronal Line with Altitude from Out-of-Eclipse Observations during Solar Cycle 24

The results of studies of the coronal emission line λ = 5303 Å (Fe XIV) for the period of solar cycle 24 are presented. The spectral data were obtained with an out-of-eclipse Lyot coronagraph at the Mountain Astronomical Station of the Pulkovo Observatory, Russian Academy of Sciences (near Kislovodsk). As a result of processing of out-of-eclipse observations, a database of three types of daily coronal maps of green line intensity I5303 was created with a height distribution h from 1R☉ to 1.38R☉ (R☉ is the radius of the Sun). Irregularities along the λ = 5303 Å line were found and identified, which were associated with the configuration of magnetic fields in the solar corona above active regions. The length of the green line from the position angle of the Sun was calculated. We have shown that the time distribution of the line length in the polar regions has two maxima, which coincide with the times of the reversal of the polar magnetic field on the Sun. The maximum values of the average length of the coronal line along the entire limb occur in 2012–2014. For different phases (the rise, the period of maximum, the decline, and the minimum solar activity) of this solar cycle and for different regions of solar activity, dependences of the height variations of the I5303 values were plotted and studied. The regression equations for these fitting curves are presented. The variation in I5303 with height for the polar regions is most likely determined by a logarithmic function, and the approximating trend curves for the remaining latitudinal zones are determined by a third-order power function.

A phase lag between disc and corona in GRMHD simulations of precessing tilted accretion discs

In the course of its evolution, a black hole (BH) accretes gas from a wide range of directions. Given a random accretion event, the typical angular momentum of an accretion disc would be tilted by ∼60∘ relative to the BH spin. Misalignment causes the disc to precess at a rate that increases with BH spin and depends on disc morphology. We present general-relativistic magnetohydrodynamic (GRMHD) simulations spanning a full precession period of highly tilted (60∘), moderately thin (h/r=0.1) accretion discs around a rapidly spinning (a≃0.9) BH. While the disc and jets precess in phase, we find that the disc wind/corona, sandwiched between the two, lags behind by ≳10°. For spectral models of BH accretion, the implication is that hard non-thermal (corona) emission lags behind the softer (disc) emission, thus potentially explaining some properties of the hard energy lags seen in Type-C low frequency quasi-periodic oscillations in X-ray binaries. While strong jets are unaffected by this disc-corona lag, weak jets can stall when encountering the lagging corona at distances r∼100 BH radii. This interaction may quench large-scale jet formation.

Spectral analysis of coronal Fe XIV emission at 530.3 nm: Temporal behaviour of 27-day and Rieger periodicities during solar cycles 17–23

The temporal variation of both the ≈ 27-day as well as the Rieger periodicity in Fe XIV solar corona spectral emission observed at 530.3 nm is investigated during the interval from 1 January 1940 to 31 December 2008. This time period overlaps with various phases of solar cycles 17 to 23. Daily mean values of Fe XIV emission at each annual interval are spectrally analysed using Morlet wavelet and Lomb–Scargle techniques to obtain the temporal behaviour of particularly the ≈ 155-day Rieger as well as the ≈ 27-day solar rotation periodicities. Results obtained in this study indicate substantial power in both the ≈ 27-day as well as the Rieger periodicity varying on an annual basis while applying the 95 % statistical confidence level. This analysis revealed that both the ≈ 27-day as well as the Rieger periodicity in Fe XIV exhibit their strongest power around solar maximum. In particular it has been found that the power of the Rieger periodicity exceeds that of the ≈ 27-day period during the maxima of all solar cycles, while on the other hand the power of the ≈ 27-day synodic periodicity dominates during the minima of most cycles. This paper reports for the first time the relative powers in the temporal behaviour of both the ≈ 27-day as well as the ≈ 155-day Rieger periodicity in coronal Fe XIV at 530.3 nm.

A Model for Gradual-phase Heating Driven by MHD Turbulence in Solar Flares

Coronal flare emission is commonly observed to decay on timescales longer than those predicted by impulsively driven, one-dimensional flare loop models. This discrepancy is most apparent during the gradual phase, where emission from these models decays over minutes, in contrast to the hour or more often observed. Magnetic reconnection is invoked as the energy source of a flare, but should deposit energy into a given loop within a matter of seconds. Models which supplement this impulsive energization with a long, persistent ad hoc heating have successfully reproduced long-duration emission, but without providing a clear physical justification. Here we propose a model for extended flare heating by the slow dissipation of turbulent Alfvén waves initiated during the retraction of newly reconnected flux tubes through a current sheet. Using one-dimensional simulations, we track the production and evolution of MHD wave turbulence trapped by reflection from high-density gradients in the transition region. Turbulent energy dissipates through nonlinear interaction between counter-propagating waves, modeled here using a phenomenological one-point closure model. Atmospheric Imaging Assembly EUV light curves synthesized from the simulation were able to reproduce emission decay on the order of tens of minutes. We find this simple model offers a possible mechanism for generating the extended heating demanded by observed coronal flare emissions self-consistently from reconnection-powered flare energy release.

Radio detections of two unusual cataclysmic variables in the VLA Sky Survey

ABSTRACT We report two new radio detections of cataclysmic variables (CVs), and place them in context with radio and X-ray detections of other CVs. We detected QS Vir, a low accretion-rate CV; V2400 Oph, a discless intermediate polar; and recovered the polar AM Her in the Very Large Array Sky Survey 2–4 GHz radio images. The radio luminosities of these systems are higher than typically expected from coronal emission from stars of similar spectral types, and neither system is expected to produce jets, leaving the origin of the radio emission a puzzle. The radio emission mechanism for these two CVs may be electron–cyclotron maser emission, synchrotron radiation, or a more exotic process. We compile published radio detections of CVs, and X-ray measurements of these CVs, to illustrate their locations in the radio–X-ray luminosity plane, a diagnostic tool often used for X-ray binaries, active galactic nuclei, and radio stars. Several radio-emitting CVs, including these two newly detected CVs, seem to lie near the principal radio/X-ray track followed by black hole X-ray binaries at low luminosity, suggesting additional complexity in classifying unknown systems using their radio and X-ray luminosities alone.

Properties of Flare-imminent versus Flare-quiet Active Regions from the Chromosphere through the Corona. II. Nonparametric Discriminant Analysis Results from the NWRA Classification Infrastructure (NCI)

A large sample of active-region-targeted time-series images from the Solar Dynamics Observatory/Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA), the AIA Active Region Patch database (Paper I) is used to investigate whether parameters describing the coronal, transition region, and chromospheric emission can differentiate a region that will imminently produce a solar flare from one that will not. Parameterizations based on moment analysis of direct and running-difference images provide for physically interpretable results from nonparametric discriminant analysis. Across four event definitions including both 24 hr and 6 hr validity periods, 160 image-based parameters capture the general state of the atmosphere, rapid brightness changes, and longer-term intensity evolution. We find top Brier Skill Scores in the 0.07–0.33 range, True Skill Statistics in the 0.68–0.82 range (both depending on event definition), and Receiver Operating Characteristic Skill Scores above 0.8. Total emission can perform notably, as can steeply increasing or decreasing brightness, although mean brightness measures do not, demonstrating the well-known active-region size/flare productivity relation. Once a region is flare productive, the active-region coronal plasma appears to stay hot. The 94 Å filter data provide the most parameters with discriminating power, with indications that it benefits from sampling multiple physical regimes. In particular, classification success using higher-order moments of running-difference images indicate a propensity for flare-imminent regions to display short-lived small-scale brightening events. Parameters describing the evolution of the corona can provide flare-imminent indicators, but at no preference over “static” parameters. Finally, all parameters and NPDA-derived probabilities are available to the community for additional research.

X-ray emission from a rapidly accreting narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy at z = 6.56

Context. The space density of X-ray-luminous, blindly selected active galactic nuclei (AGN) traces the population of rapidly accreting super-massive black holes through cosmic time. It is encoded in the X-ray luminosity function, whose bright end remains poorly constrained in the first billion years after the Big Bang as X-ray surveys have thus far lacked the required cosmological volume. With the eROSITA Final Equatorial-Depth Survey (eFEDS), the largest contiguous and homogeneous X-ray survey to date, X-ray AGN population studies can now be extended to new regions of the luminosity–redshift space (L2 − 10 keV > 1045 erg s−1 and z > 6). Aims. The current study aims at identifying luminous quasars at z > 5.7 among X-ray-selected sources in the eFEDS field in order to place a lower limit on black hole accretion well into the epoch of re-ionisation. A secondary goal is the characterisation of the physical properties of these extreme coronal emitters at high redshifts. Methods. Cross-matching eFEDS catalogue sources to optical counterparts from the DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys, we confirm the low significance detection with eROSITA of a previously known, optically faint z = 6.56 quasar from the Subaru High-z Exploration of Low-luminosity Quasars (SHELLQs) survey. We obtained a pointed follow-up observation of the source with the Chandra X-ray telescope in order to confirm the low-significance eROSITA detection. Using new near-infrared spectroscopy, we derived the physical properties of the super-massive black hole. Finally, we used this detection to infer a lower limit on the black hole accretion density rate at z > 6. Results. The Chandra observation confirms the eFEDS source as the most distant blind X-ray detection to date. The derived X-ray luminosity is high with respect to the rest-frame optical emission of the quasar. With a narrow MgII line, low derived black hole mass, and high Eddington ratio, as well as its steep photon index, the source shows properties that are similar to local narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies, which are thought to be powered by young super-massive black holes. In combination with a previous high-redshift quasar detection in the field, we show that quasars with L2 − 10 keV > 1045 erg s−1 dominate accretion onto super-massive black holes at z ∼ 6.

AstroSat observation of the accreting millisecond X-ray pulsar SAX J1808.4–3658 during its 2019 outburst

ABSTRACT We report on the analysis of the AstroSat data set of the accreting millisecond X-ray pulsar SAX J1808.4–3658, obtained during its 2019 outburst. We found coherent pulsations at ∼401 Hz and an orbital solution consistent with previous studies. The 3–20 keV pulse profile can be well fitted with three harmonically related sinusoidal components with background-corrected fractional amplitudes of $\sim 3.5 {{\ \rm per\ cent}}$, $\sim 1.2 {{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ and $\sim 0.37 {{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ for the fundamental, second and third harmonics, respectively. Our energy-resolved pulse profile evolution study indicates a strong energy dependence. We also observed a soft lag in the fundamental and hard lags during its harmonic. The broad-band spectrum of SAX J1808.4–3658 can be described well using a combination of the thermal emission component with kT ∼ 1 keV, a thermal Comptonization (Γ ∼ 1.67) from the hot corona and broad emission lines due to Fe.

Modeling Solar Eclipses at Extreme Ultra Violet Wavelengths and the Effects of Nonuniform Eclipse Shadow on the Ionosphere‐Thermosphere System

AbstractThe impacts of solar eclipses on the ionosphere‐thermosphere system particularly the composition, density, and transport are studied using numerical simulation and subsequent model‐data comparison. We introduce a newly developed model of a solar eclipse mask (shadow) at extreme ultraviolet (EUV) wavelengths—PyEclipse—that computes the corresponding shadowing as a function of space, time, and wavelength of the input solar image. The current model includes interfaces for Solar Dynamics Observatory and Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites EUV telescopes providing solar images at nine different wavelengths. We show the significance of the EUV eclipse shadow spatial variability and that it varies significantly with wavelength owing to the highly variable solar coronal emissions. We demonstrate geometrical differences between the EUV eclipse shadow compared to a geometrically symmetric simplification revealing changes in occultation vary ±20%. The EUV eclipse mask is validated with in situ solar flux measurements by the PRoject for Onboard Autonomy 2/Large Yield Radiometer instrument suite showing the model captures the morphology and amplitudes of transient variability while the modeled gradients are slower. The effects of spatially EUV eclipse masks are investigated with Global Ionosphere Thermosphere Model for the 21 August 2017 eclipse. The results reveal that the modeled EUV eclipse mask, in comparison with the geometrically symmetric approximation, causes changes in the Total Electron Content in order of ±20%, 5%–20% in F‐region plasma drift, and 20%–30% in F‐region neutral winds.

SULIS: A coronal magnetism explorer for ESA’s Voyage 2050

Magnetism dominates the structure and dynamics of the solar corona. To understand the true nature of the solar corona and the long-standing coronal heating problem requires measuring the vector magnetic field of the corona at a sufficiently high resolution (spatially and temporally) across a large Field-of-View (FOV). Despite the importance of the magnetic field in the physics of the corona and despite the tremendous progress made recently in the remote sensing of solar magnetic fields, reliable measurements of the coronal magnetic field strength and orientation do not exist. This is largely due to the weakness of coronal magnetic fields, previously estimated to be on the order of 1-10 G, and the difficulty associated with observing the extremely faint solar corona emission. With the Solar cUbesats for Linked Imaging Spectro-polarimetry (SULIS) mission, we plan to finally observe, in detail and over the long-term, uninterrupted measurements of the coronal magnetic vector field using a new and very affordable instrument design concept. This will be profoundly important in the study of local atmospheric coronal heating processes, as well as in measuring the nature of magnetic clouds, in particular, within geoeffective Earth-bound Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) for more accurate forecasting of severe space weather activity.

A closer look at NGC 7314 nuclear region: a multiwavelength analysis of the Seyfert nucleus and its surroundings

ABSTRACT The central regions of galaxies harbouring active galactic nuclei (AGNs) can be quite complex, especially at high activity, presenting, besides variability, a variety of phenomena related, e.g. to ionization/excitation mechanisms. A detailed study is necessary in order to understand better those objects. For that reason, we performed a multiwavelength analysis of the nuclear region of the nearby Seyfert galaxy NGC 7314, using an optical data cube obtained with the Integral Field Unit from the Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph, together with Hubble Space Telescope images, X-ray data from the XMM–Newton and the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array and radio data from Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array. The goals were to study the nuclear and circumnuclear emission, the emission of the AGN and the gas kinematics. The optical spectrum shows the emission of a Seyfert nucleus, with broad components in the H α and H β emission lines, characterising a type 1 AGN, with a spectrum rich in coronal emission lines. The spatial morphology of the [O iii] λ5007 suggests the presence of an ionization cone, west of the nucleus, meanwhile the east cone seems to be obscured by dust. An extended [Fe vii] λ6087 emission was also detected, which could be possibly explained by a scenario involving photoionization + shocks mechanisms. X-rays analyses showed that there are variations in the flux; however, we did not detect any variations in the column density along the line of sight. Its variability may be a consequence of changes in the AGN accretion rate.

X-Ray Emission from the Exoplanet Hosting LTT 1445 Triple Star System

JWST will be able to observe the atmospheres of rocky planets transiting nearby M dwarfs. The M-dwarf triple star system LTT 1445, at a distance of 6.86 pc, hosts some of the nearest rocky terrestrial planets. These planets most likely orbit the M 3.5V star LTT 1445A. During a 28.6 ks Chandra ACIS-S3 observation we have: (i) spatially resolved and detected all three stars in the LTT 1445 system; (ii) measured the X-ray luminosity of the individual stars, including LTT 1445A, for the first time; (iii) studied the flux variability of the X-ray sources and found strong variability from the A and C components; and (iv) investigated how the coronal luminosities, temperatures, and volume emission measures vary at different activity levels. Combining these X-ray data with upcoming HST ultraviolet observations will allow a differential emission measure estimation of the star’s extreme-ultraviolet spectrum, thereby facilitating modeling of the rocky planets’ atmospheres.

Sigmoid Formation through Slippage of a Single J-shaped Coronal Loop

A well-known precursor of an imminent solar eruption is the appearance of a hot S-shaped loop, also known as a sigmoid, in an active region (AR). Classically, the formation of such an S-shaped loop is envisaged to be implemented by magnetic reconnection of two oppositely oriented J-shaped loops. However, the details of reconnection are elusive due to weak emission and subtle evolution during the preeruptive phase. In this paper, we investigate how a single J-shaped loop transforms into an S-shaped one through the slippage of one of its footpoints in NOAA AR 11719 on 2013 April 11. During an interval of about 16 minutes, the J-shaped loop slips through a low-corona region of strong electric current density in a bursty fashion, reaching a peak apparent speed of the slipping footpoint as fast as 1000 km s−1 and over. The enhancement of electric current density, as suggested by nonlinear force-free field modeling, indicates that the “nonidealness” of coronal plasma becomes locally important, which may facilitate magnetic reconnection. The loop segment undergoing slipping motions is heated; meanwhile, above the fixed footpoint coronal emission dims due to a combination effect of the lengthening and heating of the loop; the latter of which is manifested in the temporal variation of dimming slope and of emission measure. These features together support an asymmetric scenario of sigmoid formation through slipping reconnection of a single J-shaped loop, which differs from the standard tether-cutting scenario involving a double J-shaped loop system.

Contribution of Spicules to Solar Coronal Emission

Recent high-resolution imaging and spectroscopic observations have generated renewed interest in spicules’ role in explaining the hot corona. Some studies suggest that some spicules, often classified as type II, may provide significant mass and energy to the corona. Here we use numerical simulations to investigate whether such spicules can produce the observed coronal emission without any additional coronal heating agent. Model spicules consisting of a cold body and hot tip are injected into the base of a warm (0.5 MK) equilibrium loop with different tip temperatures and injection velocities. Both piston- and pressure-driven shocks are produced. We find that the hot tip cools rapidly and disappears from coronal emission lines such as Fe xii 195 and Fe xiv 274. Prolonged hot emission is produced by preexisting loop material heated by the shock and by thermal conduction from the shock. However, the shapes and Doppler shifts of synthetic line profiles show significant discrepancies with observations. Furthermore, spatially and temporally averaged intensities are extremely low, suggesting that if the observed intensities from the quiet Sun and active regions were solely due to type II spicules, one to several orders of magnitude more spicules would be required than have been reported in the literature. This conclusion applies strictly to the ejected spicular material. We make no claims about emissions connected with waves or coronal currents that may be generated during the ejection process and heat the surrounding area.

The nuclear transient AT 2017gge: a tidal disruption event in a dusty and gas-rich environment and the awakening of a dormant SMBH

ABSTRACT We present the results from a dense multwavelength [optical/UV, near-infrared (IR), and X-ray] follow-up campaign of the nuclear transient AT 2017gge, covering a total of 1698 d from the transient’s discovery. The bolometric light curve, the blackbody temperature and radius, the broad H and He i λ5876 emission lines and their evolution with time, are all consistent with a tidal disruption event (TDE) nature. A soft X-ray flare is detected with a delay of ∼200 d with respect to the optical/UV peak and it is rapidly followed by the emergence of a broad He ii λ4686 and by a number of long-lasting high ionization coronal emission lines. This indicate a clear connection between a TDE flare and the appearance of extreme coronal line emission (ECLEs). An IR echo, resulting from dust re-radiation of the optical/UV TDE light is observed after the X-ray flare and the associated near-IR spectra show a transient broad feature in correspondence of the He i λ10830 and, for the first time in a TDE, a transient high-ionization coronal NIR line (the [Fe xiii] λ10798) is also detected. The data are well explained by a scenario in which a TDE occurs in a gas-and-dust rich environment and its optical/UV, soft X-ray, and IR emission have different origins and locations. The optical emission may be produced by stellar debris stream collisions prior to the accretion disc formation, which is instead responsible for the soft X-ray flare, emitted after the end of the circularization process.

Infrared Coronal Line Emission during the 2010 Outburst of the Recurrent Nova U Scorpii

Abstract Infrared spectroscopy of the recurrent nova U Scorpii from 14.2 days after its 2010 outburst reveals two very strong infrared coronal lines: [Si x] at 1.4305 μm and [Al ix] at 2.0400 μm. Taken together with the detection of coronal lines in the 2022 outburst, this suggests that coronal line emission from U Sco may be a regular, if previously under-observed, occurrence. The strength of the two coronal lines relative the H i emission, and the surprising absence of several commonly seen coronal lines, including some that form under similar conditions as the [Si x] and [Al ix] features, are discussed.

Constraining the Physical Properties of Stellar Coronal Mass Ejections with Coronal Dimming: Application to Far-ultraviolet Data of ϵ Eridani

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are a prominent contributor to solar system space weather and might have impacted the Sun’s early angular momentum evolution. A signal diagnostic of CMEs on the Sun is coronal dimming: a drop in coronal emission, tied to the mass of the CME, that is the direct result of removing emitting plasma from the corona. We present the results of a coronal dimming analysis of Fe xii 1349 Å and Fe xxi 1354 Å emission from ϵ Eridani (ϵ Eri), a young K2 dwarf, with archival far-ultraviolet observations by the Hubble Space Telescope’s Cosmic Origins Spectrograph. Following a flare in 2015 February, ϵ Eri’s Fe xxi emission declined by 81 ± 5%. Although enticing, a scant 3.8 minutes of preflare observations allows for the possibility that the Fe xxi decline was the decay of an earlier, unseen flare. Dimming nondetections following each of three prominent flares constrain the possible mass of ejected Fe xii-emitting (1 MK) plasma to less than a few × 1015 g. This implies that CMEs ejecting this much or more 1 MK plasma occur less than a few times per day on ϵ Eri. On the Sun, 1015 g CMEs occur once every few days. For ϵ Eri, the mass-loss rate due to CME-ejected 1 MK plasma could be < 0.6 , well below the star’s estimated 30 mass-loss rate (wind + CMEs). The order-of-magnitude formalism we developed for these mass estimates can be broadly applied to coronal dimming observations of any star.

CLASS: Coronal Line Activity Spectroscopic Survey

We conduct the first systematic survey of a comprehensive set of the twenty optical coronal lines in the spectra of nearly 1 million galaxies observed by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Data Release 8 catalog. This includes often overlooked high ionization potential lines such as [Ar x] λ5533, [S xii] λ7609, [Fe xi] λ7892, and [Fe xiv] λ5303. We find that, given the limited sensitivity of SDSS, strong coronal line emission is extremely rare, with only ∼0.03% of the sample showing at least one coronal line, significantly lower than the fraction of galaxies showing optical narrow line ratios (∼17%) or mid-infrared colors (∼2%) indicative of nuclear activity. The coronal line luminosities exhibit a large dynamic range, with values ranging from ∼1034 to 1042 erg s−1. We find that a vast majority (∼80%) of coronal line emitters in dwarf galaxies (M * < 9.6 × 109 M ⊙) do not display optical narrow line ratios indicative of nuclear activity, in contrast to higher mass galaxies (∼17%). Moreover, we find that the highest ionization potential lines are preferentially found in lower mass galaxies. These findings are consistent with the theory that lower mass black holes found in lower mass galaxies produce a hotter accretion disk, which in turn enhances the higher ionization coronal line spectrum. Future coronal line searches with 30 m class telescopes or JWST may provide a pathway into uncovering the intermediate mass black hole population.

FRAMEx. III. Radio Emission in the Immediate Vicinity of Radio-quiet AGNs

We present follow-up results from the first Fundamental Reference AGN Monitoring Experiment (FRAMEx) X-ray/radio snapshot program of a volume-complete sample of local hard X-ray-selected active galactic nuclei (AGNs). Here, we added nine new sources to our previous volume-complete snapshot campaign, two of which are detected in 6 cm Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) observations. We also obtained deeper VLBA observations for a sample of nine AGNs not detected by our previous snapshot campaign. We recovered three sources with approximately twice the observing sensitivity. In contrast with lower-angular-resolution Very Large Array (VLA) studies, the majority of our sources continue to be undetected with the VLBA. The subparsec radio (6 cm) and X-ray (2–10 keV) emission shows no significant correlation, with L R/L X ranging from 10−8 to 10−4, and the majority of our sample lies well below the fiducial 10−5 relationship for coronal synchrotron emission. Additionally, our sources are not aligned with any of the proposed “fundamental” planes of black hole activity, which purport to unify black hole accretion in the M BH–L X–L R parameter space. The new detections in our deeper observations suggest that the radio emission may be produced by the synchrotron radiation of particles accelerated in low-luminosity outflows. Nondetections may be a result of synchrotron self-absorption at 6 cm in the radio core, similar to what has been observed in X-ray binaries transitioning from the radiatively inefficient state to a radiatively efficient state.

Is Core Angular Momentum Key to the Giant Dynamo?

The pros and cons of core angular momentum dissipation into the convective envelopes of giants as a driver of giant activity is discussed in face of the observational evidence, which points to two ”magnetic strips“, in the HRD, where in the first, at the base of the RGB, activity of moderate mass stars is freshly started and rejuvenated in the second strip, ascending along the mid-AGB. It remains unclear, though, which depths the giant dynamo is operating. Both concentrations of active giants in the HRD are related to stellar evolution phases with core contraction and spin-up, and presumably the dissipation of angular momentum into the convective envelope above. At the same time, the latter has a small Rossby number by virtue of its increasing convective turn-over time—i.e., favourable conditions to run an alpha-omega dynamo. Since coronal X-ray emission appears to give an incomplete picture of stellar activity across the HR diagramme, we here focus on the observed chromospheric emissions across the giant branches and find good agreement with the magnetic field Zeeman-detections there. Stable evolution phases—solar-type main sequence stars with central hydrogen burning and moderate mass, central Helium burning K giants—by contrast demonstrate a decline in activity, apparently imposed by magnetic braking, as such stars are also slower rotators. In that sense, the observed picture of two magnetic activity strips across the HR diagramme could empirically be explained as an interplay of magnetic braking during the stable phase of core helium burning and supply by internal angular momentum during episodes of fast core contraction with core spin-up and angular momentum dredge-up, while meeting dynamo-friendly envelope conditions. At the same time, the sporadic external supply of angular momentum by the engulfment events of a planet, in the course of the evolutionary envelope expansion, may explain some cases of exceptional activity outside the here-described general picture.