Flare Star Campaign: High-Cadence Photometric and Spectroscopic Observations
Abstract:
Dr. Gary Hawkins (Blossom Valley Small Telescope Observatory), Red Dwarf Group Coordinator, writes: "This campaign invites AAVSO members and collaborators to participate in a coordinated, high-cadence photometric and spectroscopic study of flare stars. The campaign targets stars of magnitudes 9 to 13, including EV Lacertae (EV Lac) and AD Leonis (AD Leo). Observations will commence immediately and continue for two to three years." Building on insights from the previous campaign (Campaign #1) announced in AAVSO Alert Notice 789 in 2022, this follow-up campaign aims to deepen our understanding of flare activity in low-mass stars through multi-wavelength observations, contributing to ongoing analyses of high-energy stellar environments.
Justification:
Campaign #2 focuses on the observation and scientific investigation of flare stars to provide further insight into their complex nature. The Red Dwarf Group is a worldwide collaboration of experienced observers and scientists dedicated to advancing the study of red dwarf flare stars. Since our inception, we have achieved exciting results by leveraging a global network of telescopes spanning from Europe to the west coast of the United States. This setup allows us to conduct extended, high-cadence observations, monitoring our targets for many hours each night and sometimes over weeks or months. Our research goals include developing robust flare-frequency distributions, assessing the statistical significance in FFD changes, and exploring more precise flare temperature modeling. The RDG plans to publish the results in peer-reviewed astronomical journals.
Requested Data Types:
Spectroscopy, Photometry
Targets
| Name | Magnitude | Variability Type | Photometry Notes | Spectroscopy Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AD Leo | 8.07 | UV+BY |
Cadence: Continuous Precision: 100 |
Cadence: Continuous Resolution: 250 Desired SNR: 100 |
| EV Lac | 8.28 | UV+BY |
Cadence: Continuous Precision: 100 |
Cadence: Continuous Resolution: 250 Desired SNR: 100 |
Spectroscopy Lines:
No spectroscopy lines provided
Photometry Filters:
B (Johnson), V (Johnson), Other (Please Specify)
Comparison Stars:
Finder charts with comparison stars for the targets may be created using the AAVSO Variable Star Plotter (VSP; https://apps.aavso.org/vsp).
Co-Authorship
Observers are eligible for co-authorship.
Additional Observer Input:
Photometry will typically be done at a 30-second cadence. Spectroscopy will typically require 2 to 5 min subs. Multi-hour time-series observation is requested to cover as many nights as possible. Observers are requested in multiple geographic locations. The SNR should ideally be 100 dB or better. The campaign based on Alert Notice 789 resulted in over five hundred observing nights of photometric and spectroscopic data. We are looking to exceed these results. CMOS or CCD observations are preferred. A mono camera with B and/or V-band photometric filters or a color camera with UV/IR or IR blocking producing tri-color data is acceptable for photometry. Spectroscopic measurements are requested with low-to-high-resolution spectrographs; R = 400 minimum, wavelength, and instrument response corrected.
Additional Submission Location:
Not provided
Notes:
The participation of one or more academic institutions will be extremely valuable. The goal is to produce multiple peer-reviewed papers throughout the campaign. Campaign #1 produced a number of conference proceedings and papers - please see examples: 1) Sims et al., “Spectroscopic and Photometric Investigation of Red Dwarf Flares” https://youtu.be/XO2Pys1hv5s?si=kxgkgQPxJPUo_f45; 2) Buchheim et al., “Time-Series Spectroscopy of Flare Star AD Leo in 2021” https://youtu.be/NUTrKSCasZI?si=88Z54-TlD1jlzwBz; 3) Boyd et al., “Combined spectroscopic and photometric analysis of flares in EV Lacertae” https://youtu.be/Zm5jWDRvzEg?si=vjLn5bPchj9BDZ8i; and 4) Jackman, “Physics of stellar flares: Overview”, https://youtu.be/r_aj5IfongU?si=85tTz8R5u9MmH_ty .