Bisectors of the cross-correlation function applied to stellar spectra. Discriminating stellar activity, oscillations and planets

TL;DR

This study demonstrates that bisectors of cross-correlation functions from stellar spectra can distinguish between stellar activity, oscillations, and planetary signals, aiding in accurate radial velocity analysis.

Contribution

It introduces quantitative CCF bisector measures for analyzing stellar spectra and discriminating causes of radial velocity variations, with new insights into line shape differences and atmospheric effects.

Findings

CCF bisector measures can estimate stellar parameters like log g and magnitude.

Bisector correlations help distinguish between activity, oscillations, and planets.

Asymmetry in spectral line fill-in is observed in the Sun due to scattering.

Abstract

Aims: We investigate whether bisectors derived from cross-correlation functions (CCF) of single-exposure spectra can be used to provide information on stellar atmospheres, and whether they can be used to discriminate between radial velocity changes caused by planets, magnetic activity and oscillations. Methods: Using a sample of bright stars observed with the HARPS spectrograph, we examine the shapes of the bisectors of individual strong spectral lines in summed spectra, comparing with similar studies in the literature. Moreover, we examine four different quantitative CCF bisector measures for correlations with radial velocity and stellar parameters. Results: We show that CCF bisector measures can be used for quantitative analysis, employing both the absolute values and the variations. From absolute values, log g and absolute magnitude can be approximated, and from the correlations with radial velocity one can distinguish between magnetic activity, oscillations and orbiting planets as the probable cause of radial velocity variations. We confirm that different isolated spectral lines show different bisector shapes, even between lines of the same element, calling for caution in trying to derive global stellar properties from the bisector of a CCF. For the active star HR 1362 we suggest from the bisector shape an extra photospheric heating caused by the chromosphere of several hundred degrees. We confirm the fill-in of spectral lines of the Sun taken on the daylight sky caused by Rayleigh-Brillouin and aerosol scattering, and we show for the first time that the fill-in has an asymmetric component.