Starspots, chromospheric emission lines, and flares of zero-age main-sequence stars

TL;DR

This study analyzes the magnetic activity, starspots, chromospheric emission, and flares of zero-age main-sequence stars using TESS data, revealing their similarities to superflare stars and implications for stellar magnetic evolution.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the variability, magnetic activity, and flare energies of ZAMS stars, linking their properties to superflare stars and the Sun.

Findings

ZAMS stars show large starspot coverage and chromospheric emission, similar to superflare stars.

Light variation categories correlate with starspot coverage and chromospheric activity.

Detected flares with energies comparable to superflares, indicating high magnetic activity.

Abstract

Zero-age main-sequence (ZAMS) stars are considered to have enormous starspots and show strong chromospheric emission lines because of their strong surface magnetic field. We discuss the dynamo activities of ZAMS stars with respect to their periodic light variation caused by a starspot and with respect to the strength of the chromospheric emission lines. The light curves of $33$ ZAMS stars in IC 2391 and IC 2602 were obtained from \textit{TESS} photometric data. The light curves can be grouped into the following four categories: single frequency, possible shape changer, beater, and complex variability. The amplitudes of the light curves are $0.001-0.145\,\mathrm{mag}$, similar to those of ZAMS stars in Pleiades. The starspot coverages are $0.1-21\%$. We found that the light variations and Ca\,\emissiontype{II} emission line strength of ZAMS stars in IC 2391, IC 2602, and the Pleiades cluster are as large as those of the most active superflare stars and two orders larger than those of the Sun, and are located on the extensions of the superflare stars. These results suggest that superflare stars link the properties of the Sun to those of the ZAMS stars of ages between $30$ and $120\,\mathrm{Myr}$. ZAMS stars with a single frequency or possible shape change in the light curve tend to have both large light variation, indicating large spot coverage, and saturated Ca\,\emissiontype{II} emission line strength. ZAMS stars with beat or complex variability have small spot coverage and a faint Ca\,\emissiontype{II} emission line. We also detected $21$ flares in the \textit{TESS} light curves of $12$ ZAMS stars in IC 2391 and IC 2602, where most of these stars have saturated chromospheric Ca\,\emissiontype{II} emission lines. The energies of the flares are estimated to be $\sim 10^{33}-10^{35}\,\mathrm{erg}$, which is comparable with the energy of a superflare.