Imaging starspot evolution on Kepler target KIC 5110407 using light curve inversion

TL;DR

This study uses light curve inversion to analyze starspot evolution on KIC 5110407 over two years, revealing small differential rotation and no clear link between spots and flares, with hints of long-term magnetic activity.

Contribution

It applies light-curve inversion to track starspot evolution on KIC 5110407 over two years, providing insights into differential rotation and flare associations.

Findings

Detected at least one large spot group at all epochs.

Measured surface differential rotation smaller than the Sun's.

No significant correlation between flares and spot orientation.

Abstract

The Kepler target KIC 5110407, a K-type star, shows strong quasi-periodic light curve fluctuations likely arising from the formation and decay of spots on the stellar surface rotating with a period of 3.4693 days. Using an established light-curve inversion algorithm, we study the evolution of the surface features based on Kepler space telescope light curves over a period of two years (with a gap of .25 years). At virtually all epochs, we detect at least one large spot group on the surface causing a 1-10% flux modulation in the Kepler passband. By identifying and tracking spot groups over a range of inferred latitudes, we measured the surface differential rotation to be much smaller than that found for the Sun. We also searched for a correlation between the seventeen stellar flares that occurred during our observations and the orientation of the dominant surface spot at the time of each flare. No statistically-significant correlation was found except perhaps for the very brightest flares, suggesting most flares are associated with regions devoid of spots or spots too small to be clearly discerned using our reconstruction technique. While we may see hints of long-term changes in the spot characteristics and flare statistics within our current dataset, a longer baseline of observation will be needed to detect the existence of a magnetic cycle in KIC 5110407.