By Pranjal Mehar 6 Aug, 2024
Collected at: https://www.techexplorist.com/red-dwarf-stars-produce-stellar-flares-carry-high-far-uv-radiation/86921/
Until now, astronomers used to believe that only a few stars generate enough UV radiation through flares to impact the planet’s habitability. However, a new study from the University of Cambridge shows that many more stars may have this capability.
Using data from the GALEX space telescope, the team looked for flares among 300,000 nearby stars. They then used new computational techniques to mine insights from the data. They found that red dwarf stars can produce stellar flares with far-ultraviolet (far-UV) radiation levels much higher than previously believed.
The study questions current ideas about stellar flares and how they affect exoplanets’ habitability. It finds that far-ultraviolet emission from these flares is usually three times stronger than previously believed and sometimes up to twelve times stronger.
Co-author Benjamin J. Shappee from the University of Hawai’i said, “A change of three is the same as the difference in UV in the summer from Anchorage, Alaska, to Honolulu, where unprotected skin can get a sunburn in less than 10 minutes.”
However, what drives this stronger far-UV emission remains scarce. The team believes that flare radiation might be concentrated at specific wavelengths, indicating the presence of atoms like carbon and nitrogen.
Co-author Jason Hinkle said, “This study has changed the picture of the environments around stars less massive than our Sun, which emit very little UV light outside of flares.”
More data is required to study the UV light from stars, which is crucial for understanding the source of this emission.
Berger said, “Our work puts a spotlight on the need for further exploration into the effects of stellar flares on exoplanetary environments. Using space telescopes to obtain UV spectra of stars will be crucial for better understanding the origins of this emission.”
Journal Reference:
- Vera L Berger et al.’ Stellar flares are far-ultraviolet luminous.’ Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (2024). DOI: 10.1093/mnras/stae1648
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