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We present a multiwavelength study of AB Doradus, combining modelling that incorporates a spectropolarimetric magnetic field map with 8.4 GHz radio interferometry to measure the coronal extent and density of this young star. We use the surface magnetic field map to produce a 3D extrapolation of AB Dor's coronal magnetic field. From this model we create synthetic radio images throughout the stellar rotation period which we can compare with the interferometric radio observations. Our models reproduce the two-lobe structure seen in the radio observations. We successfully fit the observed flux magnitude and lobe separation with our model. We conclude that that the features seen in the radio images are a result of centrifugal containment of hot gas at the peak of closed magnetic loops, and that the corona of AB Dor extends to about 8–10 stellar radii, making it much more extended than the present-day solar corona. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the puzzles to have emerged from the Kepler and TESS missions is the existence of unexplained dips in the light curves of a small fraction of rapidly rotating M dwarfs in young open clusters and star-forming regions. We present a theoretical investigation of one possible explanation – that these are caused by dust clouds trapped in the stellar magnetic fields. The depth and duration of the observed dips allow us to estimate directly the linear extent of the dust clouds and their distances from the rotation axis. The dips are found to be between 0.4 and 4.8 per cent. We find that their distance is close to the co-rotation radius: the typical location for stable points where charged particles can be trapped in a stellar magnetosphere. We estimate the charge acquired by a dust particle due to collisions with the coronal gas and hence determine the maximum grain size that can be magnetically supported, the stopping distance due to gas drag, and the time-scale on which dust particles can diffuse out of a stable point. Using the observationally derived magnetic field of the active M dwarf V374 Peg, we model the distribution of these dust clouds and produce synthetic light curves. We find that for 1μm dust grains, the light curves have dips of 1–3 per cent and can support masses of order of 1012 kg. We conclude that magnetically trapped dust clouds (potentially from residual disc accretion or tidally disrupted planetesimal or cometary bodies) are capable of explaining the periodic dips in the Kepler and TESS data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spectropolarimetric data allow for simultaneous monitoring of stellar chromospheric |$\log {R^{\prime }_{\rm {HK}}}$| activity and the surface-averaged longitudinal magnetic field, Bl , giving the opportunity to probe the relationship between large-scale stellar magnetic fields and chromospheric manifestations of magnetism. We present |$\log {R^{\prime }_{\rm {HK}}}$| and/or Bl measurements for 954 mid-F to mid-M stars derived from spectropolarimetric observations contained within the PolarBase database. Our magnetically active sample complements previous stellar activity surveys that focus on inactive planet-search targets. We find a positive correlation between mean |$\log {R^{\prime }_{\rm {HK}}}$| and mean log | Bl |, but for G stars the relationship may undergo a change between |$\log {R^{\prime }_{\rm {HK}}}\sim -4.4$| and −4.8. The mean |$\log {R^{\prime }_{\rm {HK}}}$| shows a similar change with respect to the |$\log {R^{\prime }_{\rm {HK}}}$| variability amplitude for intermediately active G stars. We also combine our results with archival chromospheric activity data and published observations of large-scale magnetic field geometries derived using Zeeman–Doppler Imaging. The chromospheric activity data indicate a slight under-density of late-F to early-K stars with |$-4.75\le \log {R^{\prime }_{\rm HK}}\le -4.5$|⁠. This is not as prominent as the original Vaughan–Preston gap, and we do not detect similar under-populated regions in the distributions of the mean | Bl |, or the Bl and |$\log {R^{\prime }_{\rm HK}}$| variability amplitudes. Chromospheric activity, activity variability, and toroidal field strength decrease on the main sequence as rotation slows. For G stars, the disappearance of dominant toroidal fields occurs at a similar chromospheric activity level as the change in the relationships between chromospheric activity, activity variability, and mean field strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetic interactions between stars and close-in planets may lead to a detectable signal on the stellar disc. HD 189733 is one of the key exosystems thought to harbour magnetic interactions, which may have been detected in 2013 August. We present a set of 12 wind models at that period, covering the possible coronal states and coronal topologies of HD 189733 at that time. We assess the power available for the magnetic interaction and predict its temporal modulation. By comparing the predicted signal with the observed signal, we find that some models could be compatible with an interpretation based on star–planet magnetic interactions. We also find that the observed signal can be explained only with a stretch-and-break interaction mechanism, while that the Alfvén wings scenario cannot deliver enough power. We finally demonstrate that the past observational cadence of HD 189733 leads to a detection rate of only between 12 and 23 per cent, which could explain why star–planet interactions have been hard to detect in past campaigns. We conclude that the firm confirmation of their detection will require dedicated spectroscopic observations covering densely the orbital and rotation period, combined with scarcer spectropolarimetric observations to assess the concomitant large-scale magnetic topology of the star. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report results of a spectropolarimetric and photometric monitoring of the weak-line T Tauri star V410 Tau based on data collected mostly with SPIRou, the near-infrared (NIR) spectropolarimeter recently installed at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope , as part of the SPIRou Legacy Survey large programme, and with TESS between October and December 2019. Using Zeeman–Doppler Imaging (ZDI), we obtained the first maps of photospheric brightness and large-scale magnetic field at the surface of this young star derived from NIR spectropolarimetric data. For the first time, ZDI is also simultaneously applied to high-resolution spectropolarimetric data and very-high-precision photometry. V410 Tau hosts both dark and bright surface features and magnetic regions similar to those previously imaged with ZDI from optical data, except for the absence of a prominent dark polar spot. The brightness distribution is significantly less contrasted than its optical equivalent, as expected from the difference in wavelength. The large-scale magnetic field (⁠|${\sim}410$|  G), found to be mainly poloidal, features a dipole of |${\sim}390$|  G, again compatible with previous studies at optical wavelengths. NIR data yield a surface differential rotation slightly weaker than that estimated in the optical at previous epochs. Finally, we measured the radial velocity of the star and filtered out the stellar activity jitter using both ZDI and Gaussian Process Regression down to a precision of |${\sim}0.15$| and 0.08  |$\mathrm{km}\, \mathrm{s}^{-1}$| RMS, respectively, confirming the previously published upper limit on the mass of a potential close-in massive planet around V410 Tau. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stars lose mass and angular momentum during their lifetimes. Observations of H-alpha absorption of a number of low mass stars, show prominences transiting the stellar disc and being ejected into the extended stellar wind. Analytic modelling have shown these M-dwarf coronal structures growing to be orders of magnitude larger than their solar counterparts. This makes prominences responsible for mass and angular momentum loss comparable to that due to the stellar wind. We present results from a numerical study which used magnetohydrodynamic simulations to model the balance between gravity, magnetic confinement, and rotational acceleration. This allows us to study the time dependent nature of prominence formation. We demonstrate that a prominence, formed beyond the co-rotation radius, is ejected into the extended stellar wind in the slingshot prominence paradigm. Mass, angular momentum flux and ejection frequency have been calculated for a representative cool star, in the so-called Thermal Non-Equilibrium (TNE) regime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The helicity of a magnetic field is a fundamental property that is conserved in ideal MHD. It can be explored in the stellar context by mapping large-scale magnetic fields across stellar surfaces using Zeeman–Doppler imaging. A recent study of 51 stars in the mass range 0.1–1.34 M⊙ showed that the photospheric magnetic helicity density follows a single power law when plotted against the toroidal field energy, but splits into two branches when plotted against the poloidal field energy. These two branches divide stars above and below ∼0.5 M⊙. We present here a novel method of visualizing the helicity density in terms of the linkage of the toroidal and poloidal fields that are mapped across the stellar surface. This approach allows us to classify the field linkages that provide the helicity density for stars of different masses and rotation rates. We find that stars on the lower mass branch tend to have toroidal fields that are non-axisymmetric and so link through regions of positive and negative poloidal field. A lower mass star may have the same helicity density as a higher mass star, despite having a stronger poloidal field. Lower mass stars are therefore less efficient at generating large-scale helicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studying cool star magnetic activity gives an important insight into the stellar dynamo and its relationship with stellar properties, as well as allowing us to place the Sun's magnetism in the context of other stars. Only 61 Cyg A (K5V) and τ Boo (F8V) are currently known to have magnetic cycles like the Sun's, where the large-scale magnetic field polarity reverses in phase with the star's chromospheric activity cycles. τ Boo has a rapid ∼240 d magnetic cycle, and it is not yet clear whether this is related to the star's thin convection zone or if the dynamo is accelerated by interactions between τ Boo and its hot Jupiter. To shed light on this, we studied the magnetic activity of HD 75332 (F7V) which has similar physical properties to τ Boo and does not appear to host a hot Jupiter. We characterized its long-term chromospheric activity variability over 53 yr and used Zeeman Doppler Imaging to reconstruct the large-scale surface magnetic field for 12 epochs between 2007 and 2019. Although we observe only one reversal of the large-scale magnetic dipole, our results suggest that HD 75332 has a rapid ∼1.06 yr solar-like magnetic cycle where the magnetic field evolves in phase with its chromospheric activity. If a solar-like cycle is present, reversals of the large-scale radial field polarity are expected to occur at around activity cycle maxima. This would be similar to the rapid magnetic cycle observed for τ Boo, suggesting that rapid magnetic cycles may be intrinsic to late-F stars and related to their shallow convection zones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structure of a star's coronal magnetic field is a fundamental property that governs the high-energy emission from the hot coronal gas and the loss of mass and angular momentum in the stellar wind. It is, however, extremely difficult to measure. We report a new method to trace this structure in rapidly rotating young convective stars, using the cool gas trapped on coronal field lines as markers. This gas forms 'slingshot prominences' that appear as transient absorption features in H α. By using different methods of extrapolating this field from the surface measurements, we determine locations for prominence support and produce synthetic H α stacked spectra. The absorption features produced with a potential field extrapolation match well those observed, while the absorption features from a non-potential field do not. In systems where the rotation and magnetic axes are well aligned, up to |$50{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$| of the prominence mass may transit the star and so produces a observable feature. This fraction may fall as low as |$~2{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$| in very highly inclined systems. Ejected prominences carry away mass and angular momentum at rates that vary by two orders of magnitude, but which may approach those carried by the stellar wind. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present stellar wind modelling of the hot Jupiter host HD189733, and predict radio emission from the stellar wind and the planet, the latter arising from the interaction of the stellar wind with the planetary magnetosphere. Our stellar wind models incorporate surface stellar magnetic field maps at the epochs 2013 June/July, 2014 September, and 2015 July as boundary conditions. We find that the mass-loss rate, angular momentum loss rate, and open magnetic flux of HD189733 vary by 9 per cent, 40 per cent, and 19 per cent over these three epochs. Solving the equations of radiative transfer, we find that from 10 MHz–100 GHz the stellar wind emits fluxes in the range of 10−3–5 μJy, and becomes optically thin above 10 GHz. Our planetary radio emission model uses the radiometric Bode's law, and neglects the presence of a planetary atmosphere. For assumed planetary magnetic fields of 1–10 G, we estimate that the planet emits at frequencies of 2–25 MHz, with peak flux densities of 102 mJy. We find that the planet orbits through regions of the stellar wind that are optically thick to the emitted frequency from the planet. As a result, unattenuated planetary radio emission can only propagate out of the system and reach the observer for 67 per cent of the orbit for a 10 G planetary field, corresponding to when the planet is approaching and leaving primary transit. We also find that the plasma frequency of the stellar wind is too high to allow propagation of the planetary radio emission below 21 MHz. This means a planetary field of at least 8 G is required to produce detectable radio emission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the aims of the BCool programme is to search for cycles in other stars and to understand how similar they are to the Sun. In this paper, we aim to monitor the evolution of τ Boo’s large-scale magnetic field using high-cadence observations covering its chromospheric activity maximum. For the first time, we detect a polarity switch that is in phase with τ Boo’s 120-day chromospheric activity maximum and its inferred X-ray activity cycle maximum. This means that τ Boo has a very fast magnetic cycle of only 240 days. At activity maximum τ Boo’s large-scale field geometry is very similar to the Sun at activity maximum: it is complex and there is a weak dipolar component. In contrast, we also see the emergence of a strong toroidal component which has not been observed on the Sun, and a potentially overlapping butterfly pattern where the next cycle begins before the previous one has finished. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The magnetic geometry of the surface magnetic fields of more than 55 cool stars have now been mapped using spectropolarimetry. In order to better understand these observations, we compare the magnetic field topology at different surface scale sizes of observed and simulated cool stars. For ease of comparison between the high-resolution non-potential magnetofrictional simulations and the relatively low-resolution observations, we filter out the small-scale field in the simulations using a spherical harmonics decomposition. We show that the large-scale field topologies of the solar-based simulations produce values of poloidal/toroidal fields and fractions of energy in axisymmetric modes which are similar to the observations. These global non-potential evolution model simulations capture key magnetic features of the observed solar-like stars through the processes of surface flux transport and magnetic flux emergence. They do not, however, reproduce the magnetic field of M-dwarfs or stars with dominantly toroidal field. Furthermore, we analyse the magnetic field topologies of individual spherical harmonics for the simulations and discover that the dipole is predominately poloidal, while the quadrupole shows the highest fraction of toroidal fields. Magnetic field structures smaller than a quadrupole display a fixed ratio between the poloidal and toroidal magnetic energies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stellar winds govern the angular momentum evolution of solar-like stars throughout their main-sequence lifetime. The efficiency of this process depends on the geometry of the star’s magnetic field. There has been a rapid increase recently in the number of stars for which this geometry can be determined through spectropolarimetry. We present a computationally efficient method to determine the 3D geometry of the stellar wind and to estimate the mass-loss rate and angular momentum loss rate based on these observations. Using solar magnetograms as examples, we quantify the extent to which the values obtained are affected by the limited spatial resolution of stellar observations. We find that for a typical stellar surface resolution of 20°–30°, predicted wind speeds are within 5 per cent of the value at full resolution. Mass-loss rates and angular momentum loss rates are within 5–20 per cent. In contrast, the predicted X-ray emission measures can be underestimated by one-to-two orders of magnitude, and their rotational modulations by 10–20 per cent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zeeman–Doppler imaging (ZDI) has successfully mapped the large-scale magnetic fields of stars over a large range of spectral types, rotation periods and ages. When observed over multiple epochs, some stars show polarity reversals in their global magnetic fields. On the Sun, polarity reversals are a feature of its activity cycle. In this paper, we examine the magnetic properties of stars with existing chromospherically determined cycle periods. Previous authors have suggested that cycle periods lie on multiple branches, either in the cycle period–Rossby number plane or the cycle period–rotation period plane. We find some evidence that stars along the active branch show significant average toroidal fields that exhibit large temporal variations while stars exclusively on the inactive branch remain dominantly poloidal throughout their entire cycle. This lends credence to the idea that different shear layers are in operation along each branch. There is also evidence that the short magnetic polarity switches observed on some stars are characteristic of the inactive branch while the longer chromospherically determined periods are characteristic of the active branch. This may explain the discrepancy between the magnetic and chromospheric cycle periods found on some stars. These results represent a first attempt at linking global magnetic field properties obtained from ZDI and activity cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spectropolarimetric observations have been used to map stellar magnetic fields, many of which display strong bands of azimuthal fields that are toroidal. A number of explanations have been proposed to explain how such fields might be generated though none are definitive. In this paper, we examine the toroidal fields of a sample of 55 stars with magnetic maps, with masses in the range 0.1-1.5 M⊙. We find that the energy contained in toroidal fields has a power-law dependence on the energy contained in poloidal fields. However the power index is not constant across our sample, with stars less and more massive than 0.5 M⊙ having power indices of 0.72 ± 0.08 and 1.25 ± 0.06, respectively. There is some evidence that these two power laws correspond to stars in the saturated and unsaturated regimes of the rotation-activity relation. Additionally, our sample shows that strong toroidal fields must be generated axisymmetrically. The latitudes at which these bands appear depend on the stellar rotation period with fast rotators displaying higher latitude bands than slow rotators. The results in this paper present new constraints for future dynamo studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the variability of exoplanetary radio emission using stellar magnetic maps and 3D field extrapolation techniques. We use a sample of hot Jupiter hosting stars, focusing on the HD 179949, HD 189733 and t Boo systems. Our results indicate two time-scales over which radio emission variability may occur at magnetized hot Jupiters. The first is the synodic period of the star-planet system. The origin of variability on this time-scale is the relative motion between the planet and the interplanetary plasma that is corotating with the host star. The second time-scale is the length of the magnetic cycle. Variability on this time-scale is caused by evolution of the stellar field. At these systems, the magnitude of planetary radio emission is anticorrelated with the angular separation between the subplanetary point and the nearest magnetic pole. For the special case of t Boo b, whose orbital period is tidally locked to the rotation period of its host star, variability only occurs on the time-scale of the magnetic cycle. The lack of radio variability on the synodic period at t Boo b is not predicted by previous radio emission models, which do not account for the co-rotation of the interplanetary plasma at small distances from the star. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exoplanets in extremely close-in orbits are immersed in a local interplanetary medium (i.e. the stellar wind) much denser than the local conditions encountered around the Solar system planets. The environment surrounding these exoplanets also differs in terms of dynamics (slower stellar winds, but higher Keplerian velocities) and ambient magnetic fields (likely higher for host stars more active than the Sun). Here, we quantitatively investigate the nature of the interplanetary media surrounding the hot Jupiters HD 46375b, HD 73256b, HD 102195b, HD 130322b and HD 179949b. We simulate the three-dimensional winds of their host stars, in which we directly incorporate their observed surface magnetic fields. With that, we derive mass-loss rates (1.9-8.0 × 10-13 M☉ yr-1) and the wind properties at the position of the hot Jupiters' orbits (temperature, velocity, magnetic field intensity and pressure). We show that these exoplanets' orbits are supermagnetosonic, indicating that bow shocks are formed surrounding these planets. Assuming planetary magnetic fields similar to Jupiter's, we estimate planetary magnetospheric sizes of 4.1-5.6 planetary radii. We also derive the exoplanetary radio emission released in the dissipation of the stellar wind energy. We find radiofluxes ranging from 0.02 to 0.13 mJy, which are challenging to be observed with present-day technology, but could be detectable with future higher sensitivity arrays (e.g. Square Kilometre Array). Radio emission from systems having closer hot Jupiters, such as from τ Boo b or HD 189733b, or from nearby planetary systems orbiting young stars, are likely to have higher radiofluxes, presenting better prospects for detecting exoplanetary radio emission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate how the observed large-scale surface magnetic fields of low-mass stars (∼0.1–2 M⊙), reconstructed through Zeeman–Doppler imaging, vary with age t, rotation and X-ray emission. Our sample consists of 104 magnetic maps of 73 stars, from accreting pre-main sequence to main-sequence objects (1 Myr ≲ t ≲ 10 Gyr). For non-accreting dwarfs we empirically find that the unsigned average large-scale surface field is related to age as t−0.655 ± 0.045. This relation has a similar dependence to that identified by Skumanich, used as the basis for gyrochronology. Likewise, our relation could be used as an age-dating method (‘magnetochronology’). The trends with rotation we find for the large-scale stellar magnetism are consistent with the trends found from Zeeman broadening measurements (sensitive to large- and small-scale fields). These similarities indicate that the fields recovered from both techniques are coupled to each other, suggesting that small- and large-scale fields could share the same dynamo field generation processes. For the accreting objects, fewer statistically significant relations are found, with one being a correlation between the unsigned magnetic flux and rotation period. We attribute this to a signature of star–disc interaction, rather than being driven by the dynamo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT HD 179949 is an F8V star, orbited by a giant planet at ∼8 R★ every 3.092 514 d. The system was reported to undergo episodes of stellar activity enhancement modulated by the orbital period, interpreted as caused by star-planet interactions (SPIs). One possible cause of SPIs is the large-scale magnetic field of the host star in which the close-in giant planet orbits. In this paper we present spectropolarimetric observations of HD 179949 during two observing campaigns (2009 September and 2007 June). We detect a weak large-scale magnetic field of a few gauss at the surface of the star. The field configuration is mainly poloidal at both observing epochs. The star is found to rotate differentially, with a surface rotation shear of dΩ= 0.216 ± 0.061 rad d−1, corresponding to equatorial and polar rotation periods of 7.62 ± 0.07 and 10.3 ± 0.8 d, respectively. The coronal field estimated by extrapolating the surface maps resembles a dipole tilted at ∼70°. We also find that the chromospheric activity of HD 179949 is mainly modulated by the rotation of the star, with two clear maxima per rotation period as expected from a highly tilted magnetosphere. In 2009 September, we find that the activity of HD 179949 shows hints of low-amplitude fluctuations with a period close to the beat period of the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT The eclipsing M dwarf binary system, YY Gem, was observed using Chandra covering 140 ks (2 Prot) in total, split into two even exposures separated by 0.76 d (0.94 Prot). The system was extremely active: three energetic flares were observed over the course of these observations. The flaring and non-flaring states of the system are analysed in this paper. The activity level increased between the first and second observations even during the quiescent (non-flaring) phases. An analysis of the dynamics of the X-ray-emitting plasma suggests that both components are significantly active. Contemporaneous Hα spectra also suggest that both components show similar levels of activity. The primary star is the likely source of at least two of the flares. From a detailed analysis of the flare emission at the maximum temperature and maximum density with single loop flare models, we find loop lengths of ∼0.7 R*, 1.5 R* and 1.8 R*. All of these flares are strongly associated with hot (>10 MK) X-ray emission which appears to predominantly trace the orbital motion of the primary star. The two largest flaring loops are similar to the largest sizes reported in other active M stars and span nearly half the interbinary system; this may indicate magnetospheric interaction between the binary star coronae. We discuss the time and spectral resolution requirements that are necessary to recover detailed information about coronal structure from the X-ray spectra in similar cool star systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT We report here results of spectropolarimetric observations of the ≃8 Myr classical T Tauri star (cTTS) TW Hya carried out with ESPaDOnS at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope in the framework of the 'Magnetic Protostars and Planets' programme, and obtained at two different epochs (2008 March and 2010 March). Obvious Zeeman signatures are detected at all times, both in photospheric lines and in accretion-powered emission lines. Significant intrinsic variability and moderate rotational modulation are observed in both photospheric and accretion proxies. Using tomographic imaging, we reconstruct maps of the large-scale field of the photospheric brightness and the accretion-powered emission at the surface of TW Hya at both epochs. We find that the magnetic topology is mostly poloidal and axisymmetric with respect to the rotation axis of the star and that the octupolar component of the large-scale field (2.5-2.8 kG at the pole) largely dominates the dipolar component. This large-scale field topology is characteristic of partly convective stars, supporting the conclusion (from evolutionary models) that TW Hya already hosts a radiative core. We also show that TW Hya features a high-latitude photospheric cool spot overlapping with the main magnetic pole (and producing the observed radial velocity fluctuations); this is also where accretion concentrates most of the time, although accretion at lower latitudes is found to occur episodically. We propose that the relatively rapid rotation of TW Hya (with respect to AA Tau-like cTTSs) directly reflects the weakness of the large-scale dipole, no longer capable of magnetically disrupting the accretion disc up to the corotation radius (at which the Keplerian period equals the stellar rotation period). We therefore conclude that TW Hya is in a phase of rapid spin-up as its large-scale dipole field progressively vanishes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spectroscopic and spectropolarimetric observations of the pre-main sequence early-G star HD 141943 were obtained at four observing epochs (in 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2010). The observations were undertaken at the 3.9-m Anglo-Australian Telescope using the UCLES echelle spectrograph and the SEMPOL spectropolarimeter visitor instrument. Brightness and surface magnetic field topologies were reconstructed for the star using the technique of least-squares deconvolution to increase the signal-to-noise ratio of the data. The reconstructed brightness maps show that HD 141943 had a weak polar spot and a significant amount of low-latitude features, with little change in the latitude distribution of the spots over the 4 yr of observations. The surface magnetic field was reconstructed at three of the epochs from a high-order () spherical harmonic expansion of the spectropolarimetric observations. The reconstructed magnetic topologies show that in 2007 and 2010 the surface magnetic field was reasonably balanced between poloidal and toroidal components. However, we find tentative evidence of a change in the poloidal/toroidal ratio in 2009 with the poloidal component becoming more dominant. At all epochs the radial magnetic field is predominantly non-axisymmetric while the azimuthal field is predominantly axisymmetric with a ring of positive azimuthal field around the pole similar to that seen on other active stars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report here the first results of a multiwavelength campaign focussing on magnetospheric accretion processes of the classical T Tauri star V2129 Oph. In this paper, we present spectropolarimetric observations collected in 2009 July with ESPaDOnS at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope and contemporaneous photometry secured with the SMARTS facility. Circularly polarized Zeeman signatures are clearly detected, both in photospheric absorption and accretion-powered emission lines, from time-series of which we reconstruct new maps of the magnetic field, photospheric brightness and accretion-powered emission at the surface of V2129 Oph using our newest tomographic imaging tool - to be compared with those derived from our old 2005 June data set, re-analysed in the exact same way. We find that in 2009 July, V2129 Oph hosts octupolar and dipolar field components of about 2.1 and 0.9 kG, respectively, both tilted by about 20° with respect to the rotation axis; we conclude that the large-scale magnetic topology changed significantly since 2005 June (when the octupole and dipole components were about 1.5 and three times weaker, respectively), demonstrating that the field of V2129 Oph is generated by a non-stationary dynamo. We also show that V2129 Oph features a dark photospheric spot and a localized area of accretion-powered emission, both close to the main surface magnetic region (hosting fields of up to about 4 kG in 2009 July). We finally obtain that the surface shear of V2129 Oph is about half as strong as solar. From the fluxes of accretion-powered emission lines, we estimate that the observed average logarithmic accretion rate (in yr) at the surface of V2129 Oph is at both epochs, peaking at −9.0 at magnetic maximum. It implies in particular that the radius at which the magnetic field of V2129 Oph truncates the inner accretion disc is 0.93 and 0.50 times the corotation radius (where the Keplerian period equals the stellar rotation period) in 2009 July and 2005 June, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Significant progress has been made recently in our understanding of the structure of stellar magnetic fields, thanks to advances in detection methods such as Zeeman-Doppler Imaging. The extrapolation of this surface magnetic field into the corona has provided three-dimensional models of the coronal magnetic field and plasma. This method is sensitive mainly to the magnetic field in the bright regions of the stellar surface. The dark (spotted) regions are censored because the Zeeman signature there is suppressed. By modelling the magnetic field that might have been contained in these spots, we have studied the effect that this loss of information might have on our understanding of the coronal structure. As examples, we have chosen two stars (V374 peg and AB Dor) that have very different magnetograms and patterns of spot coverage. We find that the effect of the spot field depends not only on the relative amount of flux in the spots, but also on its distribution across the stellar surface. For a star such as AB Dor with a high spot coverage and a large polar spot, at its greatest effect the spot field may almost double the fraction of the flux that is open (hence decreasing the spin-down time) while at the same time increasing the X-ray emission measure by 2 orders of magnitude and significantly affecting the X-ray rotational modulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present here the final results of the first spectropolarimetric survey of a small sample of active M dwarfs, aimed at providing observational constraints on dynamo action on both sides of the full-convection threshold (spectral type M4). Our two previous studies were focused on early and mid M dwarfs. The present paper examines 11 fully convective late M dwarfs (spectral types M5–M8). Tomographic imaging techniques were applied to time-series of circularly polarized profiles of six stars, in order to infer their large-scale magnetic topologies. For three other stars we could not produce such magnetic maps, because of low variability of the Stokes V signatures, but were able to derive some properties of the magnetic fields. We find two distinct categories of magnetic topologies: on the one hand strong axisymmetric dipolar fields (similar to mid M dwarfs), and on the other hand weak fields generally featuring a significant non-axisymmetric component, and sometimes a significant toroidal one. Comparison with unsigned magnetic fluxes demonstrates that the second category of magnetic fields shows less organization (less energy in the large scales), similarly to partly convective early M dwarfs. Stars in both categories have similar stellar parameters, our data do not evidence a separation between these two categories in the mass–rotation plane. We also report marginal detection of a large-scale magnetic field on the M8 star VB 10 featuring a significant toroidal axisymmetric component, whereas no field is detectable on VB 8 (M7). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present in this paper, the first results of a spectropolarimetric analysis of a small sample (∼20) of active stars ranging from spectral type M0 to M8, which are either fully convective or possess a very small radiative core. This study aims at providing new constraints on dynamo processes in fully convective stars. This paper focuses on five stars of spectral type ∼M4, i.e. with masses close to the full convection threshold , and with short rotational periods. Tomographic imaging techniques allow us to reconstruct the surface magnetic topologies from the rotationally modulated time-series of circularly polarized profiles. We find that all stars host mainly axisymmetric large-scale poloidal fields. Three stars were observed at two different epochs separated by ∼1 yr; we find the magnetic topologies to be globally stable on this time-scale. We also provide an accurate estimation of the rotational period of all stars, thus allowing us to start studying how rotation impacts the large-scale magnetic field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Models of magnetospheric accretion on to classical T Tauri stars often assume that stellar magnetic fields are simple dipoles. Recently published surface magnetograms of BP Tau and V2129 Oph have shown, however, that their fields are more complex. The magnetic field of V2129 Oph was found to be predominantly octupolar. For BP Tau, the magnetic energy was shared mainly between the dipole and octupole field components, with the dipole component being almost four times as strong as that of V2129 Oph. From the published surface maps of the photospheric magnetic fields, we extrapolate the coronal fields of both stars, and compare the resulting field structures with that of a dipole. We consider different models where the disc is truncated at, or well within, the Keplerian corotation radius. We find that although the structure of the surface magnetic field is particularly complex for both stars, the geometry of the larger scale field, along which accretion is occurring, is somewhat simpler. However, the larger scale field is distorted close to the star by the stronger field regions, with the net effect being that the fractional open flux through the stellar surface is less than would be expected with a dipole magnetic field model. Finally, we estimate the disc truncation radius, assuming that this occurs where the magnetic torque from the stellar magnetosphere is comparable to the viscous torque in the disc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New data acquired on the active, cool binary CC Eri ranged across the spectrum from Chandra X-ray to broadband photometry and microwave observations using the VLA and ATCA. Also, high-dispersion spectropolarimetry using the AAT enabled Zeeman-Doppler imaging to be performed. Our interpretations infer strong localised concentrations of the stellar magnetic field, manifested by surface activity and related large coronal plasma structures. Comprehensive matching of the modelling parameters awaits more detailed investigation. This brief interim review includes consideration of the ATCA data. Microwave radio emission is usually low level (‘quiescent’), but occasionally flares of several mJy peak intensity are observed. We associate the emission, generally, with wave-like mechanisms, expanding through the outer atmosphere. Related characteristics of this emission are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Observations of rapidly rotating solar-like stars show a significant mixture of opposite-polarity magnetic fields within their polar regions. To explain these observations, models describing the surface transport of magnetic flux demand the presence of fast meridional flows. Here, we link subsurface and surface magnetic flux transport simulations to investigate (i) the impact of meridional circulations with peak velocities of on the latitudinal eruption pattern of magnetic flux tubes and (ii) the influence of the resulting butterfly diagrams on polar magnetic field properties. Prior to their eruption, magnetic flux tubes with low field strengths and initial cross-sections below experience an enhanced poleward deflection through meridional flows (assumed to be polewards at the top of the convection zone and equatorwards at the bottom). In particular, flux tubes which originate between low and intermediate latitudes within the convective overshoot region are strongly affected. This latitude-dependent poleward deflection of erupting magnetic flux renders the wings of stellar butterfly diagrams distinctively convex. The subsequent evolution of the surface magnetic field shows that the increased number of newly emerging bipoles at higher latitudes promotes the intermingling of opposite polarities of polar magnetic fields. The associated magnetic flux densities are about 20 per cent higher than in the case disregarding the pre-eruptive deflection, which eases the necessity for fast meridional flows predicted by previous investigations. In order to reproduce the observed polar field properties, the rate of the meridional circulation has to be of the order of 100 m s−1, and the latitudinal range from which magnetic flux tubes originate at the base of the convective zone (≲50°) must be larger than in the solar case (≲35°). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]