X-ray heating of the quiescent chromospheres of dMe stars

Journal Article · Mon Feb 15 00:00:00 EST 1982 · Astrophys. J.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/159679· OSTI ID:5100475

Cram, L E

The Einstein satellite has shown that dMe stars are surprisingly strong x-ray sources, with an x-ray luminosity that may be as large as 10% of the visual luminosity of the star. Atmospheric regions beneath the x-ray emitting coronae of these stars are thus bathed in an intense flux of x-rays and are consequently heated above the temperature that would exist in a radiative-equilibrium model. We show that such x-ray heating is an important factor in the energy balance of the quiescent chromospheres of dMe stars.. This fact helps resolve the long-standing problem of the inadequacy of the acoustic-wave chromospheric heating hypothesis for such stars.

• Research Organization: Sacramento Peak Observatory
• OSTI ID: 5100475
• Journal Information: Astrophys. J.; (United States), Vol. 253:2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
COSMIC X-RAY SOURCES
STELLAR ATMOSPHERES
MAIN SEQUENCE STARS
RADIATION HEATING
X RADIATION
DWARF STARS
EMISSION
RADIATION FLUX
STAR MODELS
ATMOSPHERES
COSMIC RAY SOURCES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
HEATING
IONIZING RADIATIONS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
RADIATIONS
STARS
640102* - Astrophysics & Cosmology- Stars & Quasi-Stellar
Radio & X-Ray Sources
640103 - Astrophysics & Cosmology- Quasi-Stellar
Radio
& X-Ray Sources- (-1987)