Solar Analogs Research Articles

H-alpha and Ca ii Infrared Triplet Variations During a Transit of the 23 Myr Planet V1298 Tau c

Abstract Young transiting exoplanets (<100 Myr) provide crucial insight into atmospheric evolution via photoevaporation. However, transmission spectroscopy measurements to determine atmospheric composition and mass loss are challenging due to the activity and prominent stellar disk inhomogeneities present on young stars. We observed a full transit of V1298 Tau c, a 23 Myr, 5.59 R ⊕ planet orbiting a young K0-K1.5 solar analog with GRACES on Gemini North. We were able to measure the Doppler tomographic signal of V1298 Tau c using the Ca ii infrared triplet (IRT) and find a projected obliquity of λ = 5° ± 15°. The tomographic signal is only seen in the chromospherically driven core of the Ca ii IRT, which may be the result of star-planet interactions. Additionally, we find that excess absorption of the Hα line decreases smoothly during the transit. While this could be a tentative detection of hot gas escaping the planet, we find this variation is consistent with similar timescale observations of other young stars that lack transiting planets over similar timescales. We show this variation can also be explained by the presence of starspots with surrounding facular regions. More observations both in and out of the transits of V1298 Tau c are required to determine the nature of the Ca ii IRT and Hα line variations.

Orbital Migration and Circularization of Tidal Debris by Alfvén-wave Drag: Circumstellar Debris and Pollution around White Dwarfs

Abstract A significant fraction of white dwarfs (WDs) exhibit signs of ongoing accretion of refractory elements at rates ∼103–107 kg s−1, among which, 37 WDs were detected to harbor dusty debris disks. Such a concurrence requires not only fertile reservoirs of planetary material but also a high duty cycle of metal delivery. It has been commonly suggested that this material could be supplied by solar system analogs of Main Belt asteroids or Kuiper Belt objects. Here we consider the primary progenitors of WD pollutants as a population of residual high-eccentricity planetesimals, devolatilized during the stellar giant phases. Equivalent to the solar system’s long-period comets, they are scattered to the proximity of WDs by perturbations from remaining planets, Galactic tides, passing molecular clouds, and nearby stars. These objects undergo downsizing when they venture within the tidal disruption limit. We show quantitatively how the breakup condition and fragment sizes are determined by material strength and gravity. Thereafter, the fragments’ semimajor axes need to decay by at least ∼6 orders of magnitude before their constituents are eventually accreted onto the surface of WDs. We investigate the orbital evolution of these fragments around WDs and show that WDs’ magnetic fields induce an Alfvén-wave drag during their periastron passages and rapidly circularize their orbits. This process could be responsible for the observed accretion rates of heavy elements and the generation of circum-WD debris disks. Speculative implications are that giant planets may be common around WDs’ progenitors and that they may still be bound to some WDs today.

The early instability scenario: Mars’ mass explained by Jupiter’s orbit

The formation of the solar system’s giant planets predated the ultimate epoch of massive impacts that concluded the process of terrestrial planet formation. Following their formation, the giant planets’ orbits evolved through an episode of dynamical instability. Several qualities of the solar system have recently been interpreted as evidence of this event transpiring within the first ∼100 Myr after the Sun’s birth; around the same time as the final assembly of the inner planets. In a series of recent papers we argued that such an early instability could resolve several problems revealed in classic numerical studies of terrestrial planet formation; namely the small masses of Mars and the asteroid belt. In this paper, we revisit the early instability scenario with a large suite of simulations specifically designed to understand the degree to which Earth and Mars’ formation are sensitive to the specific evolution of Jupiter and Saturn’s orbits. By deriving our initial terrestrial disks directly from recent high-resolution simulations of planetesimal accretion, our results largely confirm our previous findings regarding the instability’s efficiency of truncating the terrestrial disk outside of the Earth-forming region in simulations that best replicate the outer solar system. Moreover, our work validates the primordial 2:1 Jupiter–Saturn resonance within the early instability framework as a viable evolutionary path for the solar system. While our simulations elucidate the fragility of the terrestrial system during the epoch of giant planet migration, many realizations yield outstanding solar system analogs when scrutinized against a number of observational constraints. Finally, we highlight the inability of models to form adequate Mercury-analogs and the low eccentricities of Earth and Venus as the most significant outstanding problems for future numerical studies to resolve.

Modeling of two CoRoT solar analogues constrained by seismic and spectroscopic analysis

ABSTRACT Solar analogues are important stars to study for understanding the properties of the Sun. Combined with seismic and spectroscopic analysis, evolutionary modelling becomes a powerful method to characterize stellar intrinsic parameters, such as mass, radius, metallicity and age. However, these characteristics, relevant for other aspects of astrophysics or exoplanetary system physics, for example, are difficult to obtain with high precision and/or accuracy. The goal of this study is to characterize the two solar analogues, HD 42618 and HD 43587, observed by CoRoT. In particular, we aim to infer their precise mass, radius and age, using evolutionary modelling constrained by spectroscopic, photometric and seismic analysis. These stars show evidence of being older than the Sun but with a relatively large lithium abundance. We present the seismic analysis of HD 42618, and the modelling of the two solar analogues, HD 42618 and HD 43587 using the cestam stellar evolution code. Models were computed to reproduce the spectroscopic (effective temperature and metallicity) and seismic (mode frequency) data, and the luminosity of the stars, based on Gaia parallaxes. We infer very similar values of mass and radius for both stars compared with the literature, within the uncertainties, and we reproduce correctly the seismic constraints. The modelling shows that HD 42618 is slightly less massive and older than the Sun, and that HD 43587 is more massive and older than the Sun, in agreement with previous results. The use of chemical clocks improves the reliability of our age estimates.

Metal-to-Ligand Charge-Transfer Spectrum of a Ru-Bipyridine-Sensitized TiO2 Cluster from Embedded Multiconfigurational Excited-State Theory.

Understanding optical properties of the dye molecule in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) from first-principles quantum mechanics can contribute to improving the efficiency of such devices. While density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT have been pivotal in simulating optoelectronic properties of photoanodes used in DSSCs at the atomic scale, questions remain regarding DFT's adequacy and accuracy to furnish critical information needed to understand the various excited-state processes involved. Here, we simulate the absorption spectra of a dye-sensitized solar cell analogue, comprised of a Ru-bipyridine (Ru-bpy) dye molecule and a small TiO2 cluster via DFT and via an accurate embedded correlated wavefunction (CW) theory. We generated CW spectra for the adsorbed Ru-bpy dye via a recently introduced capped density functional embedding theory or capped-DFET (to generate the embedding potential that accounts for the interaction of the molecule and the TiO2 cluster). We then combined capped-DFET with the accurate but expensive multiconfigurational complete active space second-order perturbation theory (CASPT2)-embedded CASPT2. Because the CW theory is conducted on only a portion of the total system in the presence of an embedding potential that describes that portion's interaction with its environment, we efficiently obtain CW-quality predictions that reflect local properties of the entire system. Specifically, for example, with capped-DFET and embedded CW theory, we can simulate accurately a plethora of metal-to-ligand charge-transfer excited properties at a manageable computational cost. Here, we predict detailed electronic spectra within the visible region, featuring the lowest three singlet and triplet excited states, along with predictions of the singlets' lifetimes. We illustrated these results using a Jablonski diagram that show the relative energy position of the singlet and longer-lived triplet excited states and analyzed and proposed relaxation paths for the excited state corresponding to the most intense but short-lived absorption (interconversion, intersystem crossing, fluorescence, and phosphorescence) that may lead to longer-lived excited states necessary for efficient charge separation required to generate current in solar cells.

Looking for Astrometric Signals below 20 m s−1: A Candidate Exo-Jupiter in δ Pav

Abstract We use a combination of Hipparcos space mission data with the USNO dedicated ground-based astrometric program URAT-Bright designed to complement and verify Gaia results for the brightest stars in the south to estimate the small perturbations of observed proper motions caused by exoplanets. One of the 1423 bright stars in the program, δ Pav, stands out with a small proper motion difference between our long-term estimate and Gaia EDR3 value, which corresponds to a projected velocity of (−17, +13) m s−1. This difference is significant at a 0.994 confidence in the R.A. component, owing to the proximity of the star and the impressive precision of proper motions. The effect is confirmed by a comparison of long-term EDR3-Hipparcos and short-term Gaia EDR3 proper motions at a smaller velocity, but with formally absolute confidence. We surmise that the close Solar analog δ Pav harbors a long-period exoplanet similar to Jupiter.

Searching for new solar twins: The Inti survey for the Northern Sky

ABSTRACT Solar twins are key in different areas of astrophysics, however only just over a hundred were identified and well-studied in the last two decades. In this work, we take advantage of the very precise Gaia (DR2/EDR3), Tycho, and 2MASS photometric systems to create the ${{Inti}}$ survey of new solar twins in the Northern Hemisphere. The spectra of our targets were initially obtained with spectrographs of moderate resolution (ARCES and Goodman spectrographs with R = 31 500 and 11 930, respectively) to find the best solar twin candidates and then observed at McDonald Observatory with higher resolving power (TS23, R = 60 000) and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR ∼ 300–500). The stellar parameters were estimated through the differential spectroscopic equilibrium relative to the Sun, which allow us to achieve a high internal precision (σ(Teff) = 15 K, σ(log g) = 0.03 dex, σ($\rm {[Fe/H]}$) = 0.01 dex, and σ(vt) = 0.03 km s−1). We propose a new class of stars with evolution similar to the Sun: solar proxy, which is useful to perform studies related to the evolution of the Sun, such as its rotational and magnetic evolution. Its definition is based on metallicity (−0.15 dex ≤ $\rm {[Fe/H]}$ ≤ + 0.15 dex) and mass (0.95 M⊙ ≤ M ≤ 1.05 M⊙) constraints, thus assuring that the star follows a similar evolutionary path as the Sun along the main sequence. Based on this new definition, we report 70 newly identified solar proxies, 46 solar analogues, and 13 solar-type stars. In addition, we identified nine close solar twins whose stellar parameters are the most similar to those of the Sun.

Optical Constants of a Solar System Organic Analog and the Allende Meteorite in the Near- and Mid-infrared (1.5–13 μm)

Abstract Measurements of visible and near-infrared reflection (0.38–5 μm) and mid-to-far-infrared emission (5–200 μm) from telescope and satellite remote-sensing instruments make it possible to investigate the composition of planetary surfaces via electronic transitions and vibrational modes of chemical bonds. Red spectral slopes at visible and near-infrared wavelengths and absorption features at 3.3 and 3.4 μm observed in circumstellar disks, in the interstellar medium (ISM), and on the surfaces of solar system bodies are interpreted to be due to the presence of organic material and other carbon compounds. Identifying the origin of these features requires measurements of the optical properties of a variety of relevant analog and planetary materials. Spectroscopic models of dust within circumstellar disks and the ISM, as well as planetary regoliths, often incorporate just one such laboratory measurement despite the wide variation in absorption and extinction properties of organic and other carbon-bearing materials. Here we present laboratory measurements of transmission spectra in the 1.5–13 μm region and use these to derive real and imaginary indices of refraction for two samples: (1) an analog to meteoritic insoluble organic matter and (2) a powdered Allende meteorite sample. We also test our refractive index retrieval method on a previously published transmission spectrum of an Mg-rich olivine. We compare optical measurements of the insoluble organic matter analog to those of other solar system and extrasolar organic analogs, such as amorphous carbon and tholins, and find that the indices of refraction of the newly characterized material differ significantly from other carbonaceous samples.

Discovery of a directly imaged planet to the young solar analog YSES 2

Context. To understand the origin and formation pathway of wide-orbit gas giant planets, it is necessary to expand the limited sample of these objects. The mass of exoplanets derived with spectrophotometry, however, varies strongly as a function of the age of the system and the mass of the primary star. Aims. By selecting stars with similar ages and masses, the Young Suns Exoplanet Survey (YSES) aims to detect and characterize planetary-mass companions to solar-type host stars in the Scorpius-Centaurus association. Methods. Our survey is carried out with VLT/SPHERE with short exposure sequences on the order of 5 min per star per filter. The subtraction of the stellar point spread function (PSF) is based on reference star differential imaging using the other targets (with similar colors and magnitudes) in the survey in combination with principal component analysis. Two astrometric epochs that are separated by more than one year are used to confirm co-moving companions by proper motion analysis. Results. We report the discovery of YSES 2b, a co-moving, planetary-mass companion to the K1 star YSES 2 (TYC 8984-2245-1, 2MASS J11275535-6626046). The primary has a Gaia EDR3 distance of 110 pc, and we derive a revised mass of 1.1 M⊙ and an age of approximately 14 Myr. We detect the companion in two observing epochs southwest of the star at a position angle of 205° and with a separation of ~1.′′05, which translates to a minimum physical separation of 115 au at the distance of the system. Photometric measurements in the H and Ks bands are indicative of a late L spectral type, similar to the innermost planets around HR 8799. We derive a photometric planet mass of 6.3−0.9+1.6 MJup using AMES-COND and AMES-dusty evolutionary models; this mass corresponds to a mass ratio of q = (0.5 ± 0.1)% with the primary. This is the lowest mass ratio of a direct imaging planet around a solar-type star to date. We discuss potential formation mechanisms and find that the current position of the planet is compatible with formation by disk gravitational instability, but its mass is lower than expected from numerical simulations. Formation via core accretion must have occurred closer to the star, yet we do not find evidence that supports the required outward migration, such as via scattering off another undiscovered companion in the system. We can exclude additional companions with masses greater than 13 MJup in the full field of view of the detector (0.′′15<ρ<5.′′50), at 0.′′5 we can rule out further objects that are more massive than 6 MJup, and for projected separations ρ >2′′ we are sensitive to planets with masses as low as 2 MJup. Conclusions. YSES 2b is an ideal target for follow-up observations to further the understanding of the physical and chemical formation mechanisms of wide-orbit Jovian planets. The YSES strategy of short snapshot observations (≤5 min) and PSF subtraction based on a large reference library proves to be extremely efficient and should be considered for future direct imaging surveys.

The Epoch of Giant Planet Migration Planet Search Program. I. Near-infrared Radial Velocity Jitter of Young Sun-like Stars

Abstract We present early results from the Epoch of Giant Planet Migration program, a precise radial velocity (RV) survey of more than 100 intermediate-age (∼20–200 Myr) G and K dwarfs with the Habitable Zone Planet Finder spectrograph (HPF) at McDonald Observatory’s Hobby–Eberly Telescope. The goals of this program are to determine the timescale and dominant physical mechanism of giant planet migration interior to the water ice line of Sun-like stars. Here, we summarize results from the first 14 months of this program, with a focus on our custom RV pipeline for HPF, a measurement of the intrinsic near-infrared RV activity of young Solar analogs, and modeling the underlying population-level distribution of stellar jitter. We demonstrate on-sky stability at the sub-2 m s−1 level for the K2 standard HD 3765 using a least-squares matching method to extract precise RVs. Based on a subsample of 29 stars with at least three RV measurements from our program, we find a median rms level of 34 m s−1. This is nearly a factor of 2 lower than the median rms level in the optical of 60 m s−1 for a comparison sample with similar ages and spectral types as our targets. The observed near-infrared jitter measurements for this subsample are well reproduced with a log-normal parent distribution with μ = 4.15 and σ = 1.02. Finally, by compiling rms values from previous planet search programs, we show that near-infrared jitter for G and K dwarfs generally decays with age in a similar fashion to optical wavelengths, albeit with a shallower slope and lower overall values for ages ≲1 Gyr.

Dynamo cycles in slow and fast rotating solar analogs

Dynamo cycles in slow and fast rotating solar analogs

Solar dynamo cycle variations with a rotational period

ABSTRACT Using non-linear mean-field dynamo models, we calculate magnetic cycle parameters, such as the dynamo cycle period, the amplitude of the total magnetic energy and the Poynting flux luminosity from the surface, for solar analogues with rotation periods in the range of 1–30 d. We perform simulations for both kinematic and non-kinematic dynamo models. The kinematic dynamo models, which take into account the non-linear α-effect and the loss of the magnetic flux due to magnetic buoyancy, show a decrease of the magnetic cycle with the decrease of the stellar rotation period. Stars with a rotational period of fewer than 10 d show non-stationary long-term variations of magnetic activity. The non-kinematic dynamo models take into account the magnetic field feedback on the large-scale flow and heat transport inside the convection zone. They show the non-monotonic variation of the dynamo period with the rotation rate. The models for rotational periods fewer than 10 d show non-stationary evolution with a slight increase in the primary dynamo period with the increase of the rotation rate. The non-kinematic models show the growth of the dynamo-generated magnetic flux with the increase of the rotation rate. There is a dynamo saturation for a star rotating with a period of 2 d or less. The saturation of the magnetic activity parameters is accompanied by a depression of the differential rotation.

Interstellar comet 2I/Borisov: dust composition from multiband photometry and modelling

ABSTRACTWe present results from multiband photometry of the interstellar comet 2I/Borisov (C/2019 Q4). The observations were carried out in the two months before its perihelion passage. The UBVri photometric data obtained for comet 2I were converted to its reflectance by means of observations of neighbouring solar analogues, which allowed the reflectance of the comet with wavelength to be calculated. The registered prominent changes in the reflectance spectra of 2I while it was approaching the Sun from 2.40 to 2.01 au, and numerical simulations of the light scattering by aggregate particles provide insight into the chemical-mineralogical and structural properties of the cometary dust particles. The close agreement between the trends observed in the spectral characteristics of 2I and some models suggests that, during the observations, conglomerates of magnesium-ferrous (and, probably, organic) submicron particles prevailed in the scattering by its matter, H2O ice particles induced no noticeable spectral signals, and the gas contribution to the scattering by the coma was relatively small.

Statistics of the Chemical Composition of Solar Analog Stars and Links to Planet Formation

Abstract The Sun has been found to be depleted in refractory (rock-forming) elements relative to nearby solar analogs, suggesting a potential indicator of planet formation. Given the small amplitude of the depletion, previous analyses have primarily relied on high signal-to-noise stellar spectra and a strictly differential approach to determine elemental abundances. We present an alternative, likelihood-based approach that can be applied to much larger samples of stars with lower precision abundance determinations. We utilize measurements of about 1700 solar analogs from the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE-2) and the APOGEE Stellar Parameter and Chemical Abundance Pipeline (ASPCAP DR16). By developing a hierarchical mixture model for the data, we place constraints on the statistical properties of the elemental abundances, including correlations with condensation temperature and the fraction of stars with refractory element depletions. We find evidence for two distinct populations: a depleted population of stars that makes up the majority of solar analogs including the Sun, and a not-depleted population that makes up between ∼10% and 30% of our sample. We find correlations with condensation temperature generally in agreement with higher precision surveys of a smaller sample of stars. Such trends, if robustly linked to the formation of planetary systems, provide a means to connect stellar chemical abundance patterns to planetary systems over large samples of Milky Way stars.

Testing abundance-age relations beyond solar analogues withKeplerLEGACY stars

The prospects of using abundance ratios as stellar age indicators appear promising for solar analogues, but the usefulness of this technique for stars spanning a much wider parameter space remains to be established. We present abundances of 21 elements in a sample of 13 bright FG dwarfs drawn from theKeplerLEGACY sample to examine the applicability of the abundance-age relations to stars with properties strongly departing from solar. These stars have precise asteroseismic ages that can be compared to the abundance-based estimates. We analyse the well-known binary16 Cyg ABfor validation purposes and confirm the existence of a slight metal enhancement (∼0.02 dex) in the primary, which might arise from planetary formation and/or ingestion. We draw attention to systematic errors in some widely used catalogues of non-seismic parameters that may significantly bias asteroseismic inferences. In particular, we find evidence that the ASPCAPTeffscale used for the APOKASC catalogue is too cool for dwarfs and that the [Fe/H] values are underestimated by ∼0.1 dex. In addition, a new seismic analysis of the early F-type starKIC 9965715relying on our spectroscopic constraints shows that the star is more massive and younger than previously thought. We compare seismic ages to those inferred from empirical abundance-age relations based on ages from PARSEC isochrones and abundances obtained in the framework of the HARPS-GTO programme. These calibrations depend on the stellar effective temperature, metallicity, and/or mass. We find that the seismic and abundance-based ages differ on average by 1.5–2 Gyr, while taking into account a dependency on one or two stellar parameters in the calibrations leads to a global improvement of up to ∼0.5 Gyr. However, even in that case we find that seismic ages are systematically larger by ∼0.7 Gyr. We argue that it may be ascribed to a variety of causes including the presence of small zero-point offsets between our abundances and those used to construct the calibrations or to the choice of the set of theoretical isochrones. The conclusions above are supported by the analysis of literature data for a larger number ofKeplertargets. For this extended sample, we find that incorporating aTeffdependency largely corrects for the fact that the abundance-based ages are lower/larger with respect to the seismic estimates for the cooler/hotter stars. Although investigating age dating methods relying on abundance data is worth pursuing, we conclude that further work is needed to improve both their precision and accuracy for stars that are not solar analogues.

Investigating three Sirius-like systems with SPHERE

Context. Sirius-like systems are relatively wide binaries with a separation from a few to hundreds of au; they are composed of a white dwarf (WD) and a companion of a spectral type earlier than M0. Here we consider main sequence (MS) companions, where the WD progenitor evolves in isolation, but its wind during the former asymptotic giant branch (AGB) phase pollutes the companion surface and transfers some angular momentum. They are rich laboratories to constrain stellar models and binary evolution. Aims. Within the SpHere INfrared survey for Exoplanet survey that uses the Spectro-Polarimetric High-contrast Exoplanet REsearch (SPHERE) instrument at the Very Large Telescope, our goal is to acquire high contrast multi-epoch observations of three Sirius-like systems, HD 2133, HD 114174, and CD-56 7708 and to combine this data with archive high resolution spectra of the primaries, TESS archive, and literature data. Methods. These WDs are easy targets for SPHERE and were used as spectrophotometric standards. We performed very accurate abundance analyses for the MS stars using methods considered for solar analogs. Whenever possible, WD parameters and orbits were obtained using Monte Carlo Markov chain methods. Results. We found brighter J and K magnitudes for HD 114174B than obtained previously and extended the photometry down to 0.95 μm. Our new data indicate a higher temperature and then shorter cooling age (5.57 ± 0.02 Gyr) and larger mass (0.75 ± 0.03 M⊙) for this WD than previously assumed. Together with the oldest age for the MS star connected to the use of the Gaia DR2 distance, this solved the discrepancy previously found with the age of the MS star. The two other WDs are less massive, indicating progenitors of ∼1.3 M⊙ and 1.5 − 1.8 M⊙ for HD 2133B and CD-56 7708B, respectively. In spite of the rather long periods, we were able to derive useful constraints on the orbit for HD 114174 and CD-56 7708. They are both seen close to edge-on, which is in agreement with the inclination of the MS stars that are obtained coupling the rotational periods, stellar radii, and the projected rotational velocity from spectroscopy. The composition of the MS stars agrees fairly well with expectations from pollution by the AGB progenitors of the WDs: HD 2133A has a small enrichment of n-capture elements, which is as expected for pollution by an AGB star with an initial mass < 1.5 M⊙; CD-56 7708A is a previously unrecognized mild Ba-star, which is also expected due to pollution by an AGB star with an initial mass in the range of 1.5 − 3.0 M⊙; and HD 114174 has a very moderate excess of n-capture elements, which is in agreement with the expectation for a massive AGB star to have an initial mass > 3.0 M⊙. Conclusions. On the other hand, none of these stars show the excesses of C that are expected to go along with those of n-capture elements. This might be related to the fact that these stars are at the edges of the mass range where we expect nucleosynthesis related to thermal pulses. More work, both theoretical and observational, is required to better understand this issue.

Observing and modelling the young solar analogue EK Draconis: starspot distribution, elemental abundances, and evolutionary status

ABSTRACT Observations and modelling of stars with near-solar masses in their early phases of evolution are critical for a better understanding of how dynamos of solar-type stars evolve. We examine the chemical composition and the spot distribution of the pre-main-sequence solar analogue EK Dra. Using spectra from the HERMES Spectrograph (La Palma), we obtain the abundances of 23 elements with respect to the solar ones, which lead to a [Fe/H] = 0.03, with significant overabundance of Li and Ba. The s-process elements Sr, Y, and Ce are marginally overabundant, while Co, Ni, Cu, Zn are marginally deficient compared to solar abundances. The overabundance of Ba is most likely due to the assumption of depth-independent microturbulent velocity. Li abundance is consistent with the age and the other abundances may indicate distinct initial conditions of the pre-stellar nebula. We estimate a mass of 1.04 M⊙ and an age of $27^{+11}_{-8}$ Myr using various spectroscopic and photometric indicators. We study the surface distribution of dark spots, using 17 spectra collected during 15 nights using the CAFE Spectrograph (Calar Alto). We also conduct flux emergence and transport (FEAT) simulations for EK Dra’s parameters and produce 15-d-averaged synoptic maps of the likely starspot distributions. Using Doppler imaging, we reconstruct the surface brightness distributions for the observed spectra and FEAT simulations, which show overall agreement for polar and mid-latitude spots, while in the simulations there is a lack of low-latitude spots compared to the observed image. We find indications that cross-equatorial extensions of mid-latitude spots can be artefacts of the less visible southern-hemisphere activity.

Climate Oscillations in Southern Bulgaria and Solar Activity: Analysis of Annual Rings of Needle Samples

Abstract—The main subject of the study is an analysis of time series of the width of annual rings of spruce and pine (D) that were obtained during the implementation of a scientific project supported by the Institute of Astronomy of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food in 2012–2014. The project is a continuation of our previous study (Komitov and Kaftan, 2019). Of the 45 wood samples collected in the project, only four are Pinopsidae: one is spruce (Picea), and the other three are pine (Pinus). The age of the samples is in the range of 65–129 years. We used two methods to obtain statistically significant cycles of fluctuations in the width of annual rings: T-R periodogram algorithm and wavelet analysis. Statistically significant cycles lasting 10–11, 20–22, 25, 38, and 64–68 years were confidently identified. There are solar and geophysical analogs for all of these fluctuations. Statistically significant mutual correlation relationships that take into account the time shift in the range of 0–5 years between D pine samples, temperatures, and precipitation at neighboring meteorological stations were established. There are also secondary extrema of the correlation coefficients after the mutual displacement of time series by 20–25 years. This result seems to be additional evidence of the solar–geophysical origin of the obtained dependencies.

Thorough characterisation of the 16 Cygni system

Context.Being part of the brightest solar-like stars, and close solar analogues, the 16 Cygni system is of great interest to the scientific community and may provide insight into the past and future evolution of our Sun. It has been observed thoroughly by theKeplersatellite, which provided us with data of an unprecedented quality.Aims.This paper is the first of a series aiming to extensively characterise the system. We test several choices of micro- and macro-physics to highlight their effects on optimal stellar parameters and provide realistic stellar parameter ranges.Methods.We used a recently developed method, WhoSGlAd, that takes the utmost advantage of the whole oscillation spectrum of solar-like stars by simultaneously adjusting the acoustic glitches and the smoothly varying trend. For each choice of input physics, we computed models which account, at best, for a set of seismic indicators that are representative of the stellar structure and are as uncorrelated as possible. The search for optimal models was carried out through a Levenberg-Marquardt minimisation. First, we found individual optimal models for both stars. We then selected the best candidates to fit both stars while imposing a common age and composition.Results.We computed realistic ranges of stellar parameters for individual stars. We also provide two models of the system regarded as a whole. We were not able to build binary models with the whole set of choices of input physics considered for individual stars as our constraints seem too stringent. We may need to include additional parameters to the optimal model search or invoke non-standard physical processes.

Magnetic field and prominences of the young, solar-like, ultra-rapid rotator V530 Persei

Context. Young solar analogs reaching the main sequence experience very strong magnetic activity, generating angular momentum losses through wind and mass ejections. Aims. We investigate signatures of magnetic fields and activity at the surface and in the prominence system of the ultra-rapid rotator V530 Per, a G-type solar-like member of the young open cluster α Persei. This object has a rotation period that is shorter than all stars with available magnetic maps. Methods. With a time-series of spectropolarimetric observations gathered with ESPaDOnS over two nights on the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, we reconstructed the surface brightness and large-scale magnetic field of V530 Per using the Zeeman-Doppler imaging method, assuming an oblate stellar surface. We also estimated the short term evolution of the brightness distribution through latitudinal differential rotation. Using the same data set, we finally mapped the spatial distribution of prominences through tomography of the Hα emission. Results. The brightness map is dominated by a large, dark spot near the pole, accompanied by a complex distribution of bright and dark features at lower latitudes. Taking the brightness map into account, the magnetic field map is reconstructed as well. Most of the large-scale magnetic field energy is stored in the toroidal field component. The main radial field structure is a positive region of about 500 G, at the location of the dark polar spot. The brightness map of V530 Per is sheared by solar-like differential rotation, with roughly a solar value for the difference in rotation rate between the pole and equator. It is important to note that Hα is observed in emission and it is mostly modulated by the stellar rotation period over one night. The prominence system is organized in a ring at the approximate location of the corotation radius, and displays significant evolution between the two observing nights. Conclusions. V530 Per is the first example of a solar-type star to have its surface magnetic field and prominences mapped together, which will bring important observational constraints to better understand the role of slingshot prominences in the angular momentum evolution of the most active stars.