Detecting Differential Rotation and Starspot Evolution on the M dwarf GJ 1243 with Kepler

TL;DR

This study analyzes four years of Kepler photometry of the M4 dwarf GJ 1243 to measure starspot evolution and differential rotation, revealing very slow shear rates that inform stellar dynamo models.

Contribution

It introduces a novel combined modeling approach to measure differential rotation and starspot evolution on an active M dwarf using long-term photometry.

Findings

Measured a rotation period of approximately 0.593 days.

Detected a differential rotation rate of 0.012 ± 0.002 rad/day.

Identified a primary stable spot and a secondary evolving spot.

Abstract

We present an analysis of the starspots on the active M4 dwarf GJ 1243, using four years of time series photometry from Kepler. A rapid $P = 0.592596\pm0.00021$ day rotation period is measured due to the $\sim$2.2\% starspot-induced flux modulations in the light curve. We first use a light curve modeling approach, using a Monte Carlo Markov Chain sampler to solve for the longitudes and radii of the two spots within 5-day windows of data. Within each window of time the starspots are assumed to be unchanging. Only a weak constraint on the starspot latitudes can be implied from our modeling. The primary spot is found to be very stable over many years. A secondary spot feature is present in three portions of the light curve, decays on 100-500 day timescales, and moves in longitude over time. We interpret this longitude shearing as the signature of differential rotation. Using our models we measure an average shear between the starspots of 0.0047 rad day$^{-1}$, which corresponds to a differential rotation rate of $\Delta\Omega = 0.012 \pm 0.002$ rad day$^{-1}$. We also fit this starspot phase evolution using a series of bivariate Gaussian functions, which provides a consistent shear measurement. This is among the slowest differential rotation shear measurements yet measured for a star in this temperature regime, and provides an important constraint for dynamo models of low mass stars.