Abstract
Rapid rotation enhances the dynamo operating in stars, and thus also introduces significantly stronger magnetic activity than is seen in slower rotators. Many young cool stars still have the rapid, primordial rotation rates induced by the interstellar molecular cloud from which they were formed. Also older stars in close binary systems are often rapid rotators. These types of stars can show strong magnetic activity and large starspots. In the case of large starspots which cause observable changes in the brightness of the star, and even in the shapes of the spectral line profiles, one can get information on the rotation of the star. At times even information on the spot rotation at different stellar latitudes can be obtained, similarly to the solar surface differential rotation measurements using magnetic features as tracers. Here, I will review investigations of stellar rotation based on starspots. I will discuss what we can obtain from ground-based photometry and how that improves with the uninterrupted, high precision, observations from space. The emphasis will be on how starspots, and even stellar surface differential rotation, can be studied using high resolution spectra.
| Original language | English |
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| Journal | Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union |
| Volume | 7 |
| Issue number | S286 |
| Pages (from-to) | 268-278 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| ISSN | 1743-9213 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Oct 2011 |
| Event | 286th Symposium of the International Astronomical Union: comparative magnetic minima: characterizing quiet times in the sun and stars - Mendoza, Argentina Duration: 3 Oct 2011 → 7 Oct 2011 Conference number: 286 |
Conference
| Conference | 286th Symposium of the International Astronomical Union |
|---|---|
| Number | 286 |
| Country/Territory | Argentina |
| City | Mendoza |
| Period | 03/10/2011 → 07/10/2011 |
Keywords
- stars: activity
- stars: late-type
- stars: rotation
- stars: spots