Study of stellar magnetic activity with CoRoT and Kepler data

TL;DR

This paper explores stellar magnetic activity using Kepler data, applying time-frequency analysis to light curves to identify activity signatures, thereby advancing understanding beyond solar studies.

Contribution

It introduces a method to analyze Kepler light curves for magnetic activity signatures, expanding stellar activity research beyond the Sun.

Findings

Identification of magnetic activity signatures in stellar light curves

Demonstration of time-frequency analysis effectiveness

Insights into stellar magnetic behavior beyond solar observations

Abstract

Our knowledge of magnetic activity of stars is mostly based on the study of the Sun and some spectroscopic surveys of a few hundreds of stars. However, the detailed mechanisms of the solar magnetic activity cycle are not fully understood. With the Kepler mission that is providing exquisite photometric data for hundred of thousands of stars monitored continuously for more than three year, we can study changes in the light curves that can be related to magnetic activity. We show here a few examples of stars for which we did a time-frequency analysis to look for such signature.