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Session 43 - Variable Stars.
Display session, Thursday, January 08
Exhibit Hall,
For the past year, we have developed an algorithm dubbed Matrix Lightcurve Inversion (MLI) to do tomography of spotted stars using only photometric data. The code utilizes a mathematical process called smoothing which is similar to the maximum entropy method used in doppler imaging. Various tests have been done to analyze the viability of the process and to identify the shortcomings. We present here the results of some of those tests done by constructing an artificial surface, generating a lightcurve from that surface, and reconstructing the surface using MLI. There are a few obvious shortcomings, specifically in the fine structure resolution, but on the whole, the results have been satisfactory. In addition the first of a select group of five stars, DK Draconis, has been analyzed using MLI and the results are discussed with regard to the aforementioned shortcomings and to the long term effects such as spot lifetimes and magnetic cycles.
