Coronal activity cycles in nearby G and K stars - XMM-Newton monitoring of 61 Cygni and Alpha Centauri

TL;DR

This study uses X-ray observations over nearly a decade to investigate magnetic activity cycles in nearby G and K stars, revealing solar-like coronal behavior and long-term variability patterns.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed X-ray monitoring of 61 Cygni and Alpha Centauri, demonstrating the presence of solar-like activity cycles in these stars.

Findings

61 Cyg A shows a 7.3-year coronal activity cycle.

Alpha Cen A and B exhibit long-term X-ray variability with cycles of 12-15 and 8-9 years.

Coronal activity cycles are common in older, slowly rotating G and K stars.

Abstract

We use X-ray observations of the nearby binaries 61 Cyg A/B (K5V and K7V) and Alpha Cen A/B (G2V and K1V) to study the long-term evolution of magnetic activity in weakly to moderately active G + K dwarfs over nearly a decade. Specifically we search for X-ray activity cycles and related coronal changes and compare them to the solar behavior. For 61 Cyg A we find a regular coronal activity cycle analog to its 7.3 yr chromospheric cycle. The X-ray brightness variations are with a factor of three significantly lower than on the Sun, yet the changes of coronal properties resemble the solar behavior with larger variations occurring in the respective hotter plasma components. 61 Cyg B does not show a clear cyclic coronal trend so far, but the X-ray data matches the more irregular chromospheric cycle. Both Alpha Cen stars exhibit significant long-term X-ray variability. Alpha Cen A shows indications for cyclic variability of an order of magnitude with a period of about 12-15 years; the Alpha Cen B data suggests an X-ray cycle with an amplitude of about six to eight and a period of 8-9 years. The sample stars exhibit X-ray luminosities ranging between Lx < 1x10^26 - 3x10^27 erg s^-1 in the 0.2-2.0 keV band and have coronae dominated by cool plasma with variable average temperatures of around 1.0-2.5 MK. We find that coronal activity cycles are apparently a common phenomenon in older, slowly rotating G and K stars. The spectral changes of the coronal X-ray emission over the cycles are solar-like in all studied targets.