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We review the results of the 1988 multi-wavelength campaign on the late-type eclipsing binary YY Geminorum. Observations include: broad-band optical and near infra-red photometry, simultaneous optical and ultraviolet (IUE) spectroscopy, X-ray (Ginga) and radio (VLA) data. From models fitted to the optical light curves, fundamental physical parameters have been determined together with evidence for transient maculations (spots) located near quadrature longitudes and intermediate latitudes. Eclipses were observed at optical, ultraviolet and radio wavelengths. Significant drops in 6cm radio emission near the phases of both primary and secondary eclipse indicate relatively compact radio emitting volumes that may lie between the binary components. IUE observations during secondary eclipse are indicative of a uniform chromosphere saturated with MgII plage-type emission and an extended volume of Ly$\alpha$ emission. Profile fitting of high-dispersion H alpha spectra confirms the chromospheric saturation and indicates significant H$\alpha$ opacity to heights of a few percent of the photospheric radius. There is evidence for an enhanced H alpha emission region visible near phase 0.25-0.35 which may be associated with a large spot on the primary and with two small optical flares which were also observed at other wavelengths: one in microwave radiation and the other in X-rays. For both flares, L_X/L_opt is consistent with energy release in closed magnetic structures., Comment: 17 pages, 10 figures

We present results from a study of starspots on active stars using a pair of vibrational-rotational absorption lines of the OH molecule near 1.563 μm. We detect excess OH absorption due to dark, cool starspots on several active stars of the RS CVn and BY Dra classes. Our results for the single-lined spectroscopic binaries II Pegasi, V1762 Cygni, and λ Andromedae augment those from a previous study that used a less sensitive detector. In this study, we were able for the first time to use molecular absorption features to measure starspot properties on double-lined spectroscopic binaries. Measuring the equivalent widths of these OH lines in inactive giant and dwarf stars of spectral types G, K, and M, we find that the total equivalent width of the line pair increases approximately linearly as effective temperature decreases from 5000 to 3000 K. We measure starspot filling factors by fitting the spectra of active stars with linear combinations of comparison star spectra representing the spot and nonspot regions of the star.

In October 1994 the RS CVn eclipsing binary AR Lacertae was monitored by IUE during two orbital cycles. We have used 59 low resolution spectra, acquired in the range 1150-1950 A, to derive light curves for emission lines formed at different temperatures between about 10 000 and 200 000 K and to study the flare signatures versus temperature of line formation. We have analyzed a sequence of 59 high resolution Mgii k line profiles using multi-Gaussian fits (the spectral imaging technique) to derive information of the spatial structure of the chromospheres of both stars in the AR Lac system. We discuss the quiet chromospheric emission from both stars, and we show that enhanced Mgii emission is present in extended structures corotating with the K0 IV star and close to the system center-of-mass. We also report on evidence for absorbing structures toward both the stars. This study of AR Lac used the new orbital elements of Marino et al. ([CITE]) and spectra reduced and calibrated with NEWSIPS. A comparison between fluxes derived from the analyzed NEWSIPS spectra and from IUESIPS spectra is provided.

We describe multi-wavelength, simultaneous observations of the RS CVn star, II Pegasi, most of which were obtained during the first three weeks of September 1992. These observations were made using optical and infra-red broad-band photometry, ultraviolet and optical spectroscopy and microwave monitoring. We have detected photospheric spots and chromospheric flares, as well as deriving a description of mean conditions in the quiet chromosphere. One of the flares, observed in optical photometry and ultraviolet spectroscopy is one of the most energetic ever observed on this star. We demonstrate that in its "quiescent” state II Peg is continually variable in most of its chromospheric emissions, as well as in its coronal output.

Ultraviolet observations of 2 Andromedae with the Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph on board the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) clearly reveal the existence of circumstellar gas, in addition to previously known anomalous interstellar features, in the line of sight toward this nearby star. We also detect varying, redshifted Ca II absorptions, which we interpret as gaseous infalls. These variable Ca II absorption features and the presence of circumstellar absorptions from Al III λλ1854.716 and 1862.790 and from excited fine-structure levels of Fe II near 2600 A seen in 2 And are similar to those observed in spectra of β Pic.

Since the IRAS discovery of Vega’s large thermal infrared excess over the expected photospheric flux, dust disks have been found around a large fraction of main‐sequence A‐type stars. While dust in debris disks has been studied extensively with Spitzer, relatively little is known about their gas content. We have carried out detailed studies of the circumstellar environments of all nearby A‐type stars. We have studied both thermal emission from their circumstellar dust and absorption from circumstellar gas. With high‐resolution and high signal‐to‐noise visible spectra, we identified about a dozen main‐sequence A‐type stars with circumstellar gas through a volume‐limited survey. Although these spectra confirm the existence of the circumstellar gas and serve as a probe of the gas dynamics, they do not allow us to determine the gas density and temperature. Fortunately, there are many absorption lines in the UV and FUV range that are sensitive to the gas density and temperature. Through our FUSE, IUE, HST, and...

The chromospheric and transition region emission lines of the most active stars have routinely been shown to consist of very broad wings superimposed on the narrower, rotationally‐broadened emission core. If these wings are attributed to a single emission mechanism in the stellar atmosphere, the implied thermal broadening often strains credibility. If they are due to active regions or loops rotating into and out of view, they should be present only for a small range of rotational phase. They have also been attributed to continuous flaring and to circumstellar material (loops, disks, etc.). We have been analyzing spectra of very active stars in the FUSE continuous viewing zone, allowing them to be observed continuously over one or more complete rotations. This helps to distinguish between spatial (repeatable, phase‐dependent) and temporal variations and provides further insight into the mechanism(s) responsible for the broad wing emission.

If magnetic activity in outer stellar atmospheres is due to an interplay between rotation and subsurface convection, as is generally presumed, then one would not expect to observe indicators of activity in stars with T_eff > 8300 K. Any X-ray or ultraviolet line emission from hotter stars must be due either to a different mechanism or to an unresolved, active, binary companion. Due to their poor spatial resolution, X-ray instruments have been especially susceptible to source confusion. At wavelengths longward of 1216 Angstroms, the near ultraviolet spectra of stars hotter than this putative dividing line are dominated by photospheric continuum. We have used FUSE to obtain spectra of the subcoronal O VI emission lines, which lie at a wavelength where the photospheric continuum of the mid- and early-A stars is relatively weak. We observed 14 stars spanning a range in T_eff from 7720 to 10,000 K. Eleven of the 14 stars showed O VI emission lines, including 6 of the 8 targets with T_eff > 8300 K. At face value, this suggests that activity does not fall off with increasing temperature. However, the emission lines are narrower than expected from the projected rotational velocities of these rapidly-rotating stars, suggesting that the emission could come from unresolved late-type companions. Furthermore, the strength of the O VI emission is consistent with that expected from an unseen active K or M dwarf binary companinon, and the high x-ray to far uv luminosity ratios observed indicate that this must be the case. Our results are therefore consistent with earlier studies that have shown a rapid drop-off in activity at the radiative/convective boundary expected at T_eff about 8300 K, in agreement with conventional stellar structure models.

Current models of stellar chromospheres match either the global flux in the far ultraviolet emission lines or the details of a global line profile in order to obtain the atmospheric temperature structure. With this, it has been possible to model the global energy balance and derive a solution to the globally averaged physical properties of stellar chromospheres. However, such one component models do not actually characterize the physical structures which comprise the chromosphere, only the apparent mean structure.

The Kepler satellite provides a unique window into stellar temporal variability by observing a wide variety of stars with multi-year, near-continuous, high precision, optical photometric time series. While most Kepler targets are faint stars with poorly known physical properties, many unexpected discoveries should result from a long photometric survey of such a large area of sky. During our Kepler Guest Observer programs that monitored late-type stars for starspot and flaring variability, we discovered a previously unknown dwarf nova that lies within a few arcseconds of the mid-G dwarf star KIC 5438845. This dwarf nova underwent nine outbursts over a 4 year time span. The two largest outbursts lasted ~17–18 days and show strong modulations with a 110.8 minute period and a declining amplitude during the outburst decay phase. These properties are characteristic of an SU UMa-type cataclysmic variable. By analogy with other dwarf nova light curves, we associate the 110.8 minute (1.847 hr) period with the superhump period, close to but slightly longer than the orbital period of the binary. No precursor outbursts are seen before the super-outbursts and the overall super-outburst morphology corresponds to Osaki & Meyer "Case B" outbursts, which are initiated when the outer edge of the disk reaches the tidal truncation radius. "Case B" outbursts are rare within the Kepler light curves of dwarf novae. The dwarf nova is undergoing relatively slow mass transfer, as evidenced by the long intervals between outbursts, but the mass transfer rate appears to be steady, because the smaller "normal" outbursts show a strong correlation between the integrated outburst energy and the elapsed time since the previous outburst. At super-outburst maximum the system was at V ~ 18, but in quiescence it is fainter than V ~ 22, which will make any detailed quiescent follow-up of this system difficult.

Photometric and spectroscopic variability of late-type stars frequently has been interpreted as evidence of magnetic activity. The standard picture of stellar activity – inherited from solar observations – includes cool, dark “spots” in the photosphere and hot, dense regions in the chromosphere and coronae. The immediate cause of each of these phenomena is a closed topology of the local magnetic field. Because stars appear as mere points of light, these localized phenomena have not been directly resolvable on stars other than the Sun. Most observed effects are produced by an asymmetric distribution of starspots. If the distribution is symmetric, it would escape detection by most current techniques of light-curve and line-profile modeling. Even more troubling, the stellar properties measured with these techniques describe only a difference between contrasting hemispheres, not an absolute measure.

We report on our search for possible planetary system candidates in a volumelimited sample of 62 nearby A stars. Since the evolutionary lifetimes of A stars (≤ 109 yrs) roughly correspond to the era of planet formation and subsequent “heavy bombardment” in our solar system, our study could provide valuable insight into the origin of our own Solar System. From our ground-based visual and IUE high-resolution spectroscopy of all the northern nearby A stars, we have identified at least 12 stars with circumstellar gas. Combining these results with our previous IRAS survey we are probing the link between stars with circumstellar gas and those showing circumstellar dust disks. Our aim is not just to identify stars with gas, or stars with both gas and dust, but to identify systems with dynamic spectral activity similar to s Pic, a well known proto-planetary system candidate. By measuring the gas dynamics in the disks of these s Pic-like stars, we can begin to study the physics of accretion disks of young evolving systems.

I discuss the general problem of mapping the spatial structure in the atmospheres of active, late-type stars. There are several major differences between the problems of imaging photospheres and of imaging chromospheres. Because of these differences, chromospheric spectral imaging must be based on a direct decomposition of the observed emission line profiles.

Echelle spectrograph data present several challenges in data reduction. In this paper we address the general problem of accurately extracting spectra from a night's worth of raw CCD fiber-fed echelle data frames. We first briefly review echelle spectroscopy: properties of the basic echelle spectrograph, how the orders are arranged on the CCD, and what demands and constraints this data format places on reduction algorithms. We then discuss solutions to the various problems for fiber-fed data, with particular emphasison the removal of the scattered light background. Finally, we discuss our implementation of these solutions. We have written a package using the Interactive Data Language (IDL) that uses the methods described in this paper to give accurate extractions of spectra from fiber-fed echelle frames with any number of spectral orders of arbitrary tilt and curvature. We describe how interested persons may obtain the package through anonymous FTP.