Search results for "stellar activity"
showing 5 items of 5 documents
The EM(T) of stellar coronae
2010
Studying the solar corona, due to its vicinity, is the starting point to understand stellar activity. The emission measure distribution vs temperature, EM(T), is a useful tool to study coronal plasmas, in fact it allows: to investigate the energy balance of coronal plasmas, to easily compare different stars, and also to compare the solar corona to that of other active stars irrespective of the very different observing techniques. The EM(T) of the solar corona differs significantly, in terms of average plasma temperatures, peak temperatures, and total emission measure, with respect to that of active stars. In this work it is discussed how the evaluation of the EM(T) of the solar corona, and …
Testing the Ability of Field Extrapolation Models to Predict the X-ray Emission Properties of Pre-Main Sequence Stars
2010
By extrapolating from observationally derived magnetic surface maps, obtained through Zeeman-Doppler imaging, models of stellar magnetospheres can be constructed. By assuming that the plasma trapped along the closed field lines is in hydrostatic equilibrium, coronal X-ray emission properties, such as the global X-ray emission measure and the amount of rotational modulation of X-ray emission, can be predicted. For pre-main sequence magnetospheres the analysis can be extended to incorporate accretion flows, and predict the amount of softer X-ray emission from accretion spots that would be observed. I will detail the preliminary results of an ambitious multi-wavelength, multi-observing site, a…
Mitigation of the impact of stellar activity on observations of transiting planets
2023
La tesi si concentra sulla quantificazione dell'impatto dell'attività stellare sulle osservazioni dei pianeti in transito e sull'identificazione di una metodologia per correggere questi effetti. In particolare, viene approfondito l'effetto delle macchie stellari, sia non occultate che occulte. La presenza di macchie sul disco stellare visibile può distorcere la curva della luce di transito primaria in modo dipendente dalla lunghezza d'onda, mimando la presenza di un'atmosfera. Per tener conto di questo effetto, la tesi presenta un metodo innovativo per stimare le proprietà delle macchie e la loro distribuzione dalle osservazioni fuori transito e, su questa base, correggere le curve di luce …
Variable X-ray emission from the accretion shock in the classical T Tauri star V2129 Ophiuchi
2011
The soft X-ray emission from high density plasma in CTTS is associated with the accretion process. It is still unclear whether this high density cool plasma is heated in the accretion shock, or if it is coronal plasma fed/modified by the accretion process. We conducted a coordinated quasi-simultaneous optical and X-ray observing campaign of the CTTS V2129 Oph (Chandra/HETGS data to constrain the X-ray emitting plasma components, and optical observations to constrain the characteristics of accretion and magnetic field). We analyze a 200 ks Chandra/HETGS observation of V2129 Oph, subdivided into two 100 ks segments, corresponding to two different phases within one stellar rotation. The X-ray …
The mass determination challenge for exoplanetary science
2023
The mass of an exoplanet is a key parameter for the characterisation of the internal structure of a planet, as well as the study of the formation and the evolution of the planet, and its atmosphere. The radial velocity technique allows for measuring the planetary mass from the radial velocity variation of its parent star. However, limitations in the property determination of exoplanets, particularly in their masses, can arise from various sources especially from astrophysical noise due to stellar variability, caused by magnetic activity, which affects the detection and characterisation of exoplanets. This PhD thesis aims to understand the impact of our knowledge of the planetary mass in the…