S.L. Lakatos, E.N. Voyer, E.F. Guinan, L.E. DeWarf (Villanova University), I. Ribas (IEEC - Spain), G.M. Harper (CASA)
We report on the study of magnetic activity and spectral X-ray-UV (XUV) irradiances of main-sequence K-type (dK) stars covering a wide range of ages from <0.1 to 10 Gyr and rotation periods of <0.5 - 45d. This study is an extension of the Villanova ``Sun in Time'' Program (see Guinan et al. 2003; Ribas et al. 2005) to cooler, less luminous, but much more numerous, dK stars. These dK stars have deeper convective zones and more efficient magnetic dynamos. Of particular interest is the study of the evolution of coronal and chromospheric XUV emissions of these stars because of the critical roles that these emissions play in the photochemical and photoionization (and possible erosion) of the atmospheres of potentially hosted planets. The extension to dK stars is motivated by the upcoming extrasolar planet search missions (such as Kepler, SIM, and Darwin-TPF) that will search for earth-size planets in the (liquid water) habitable zones of nearby dG, dK and dM stars. Because of the very high space densities of low mass stars, they will likely be discovered to host numerous planets. In this study we have combined our FUSE FUV observations with archival X-ray, EUV, and UV, along with ground-based photometry, to study dependencies of XUV emissions with respect to age and rotation. Here we report on our initial study of a small sample of bright, nearby dK0-5 stars with a wide range of ages and rotation periods. The initial results are presented and we discuss the suitability of low mass dK stars as hosts for planets habitable for life. Also, the long lifetimes and high spacial densities of older dK stars make them attractive targets for searches for advanced intelligent life. This research is supported by NASA/FUSE Grants NAG5-12125, NNG04G038G, and NNGG04GC76G, which we gratefully acknowledge.
Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 37 #2
© 2005. The American Astronomical Soceity.