FK Comae Berenices, King of Spin: The COCOA-PUFS Project

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

  • Thomas R. Ayres
  • V. Kashyap
  • S. Saar
  • D. Huenemoerder
  • H. Korhonen
  • J. J. Drake
  • P. Testa
  • O. Cohen
  • C. Garraffo
  • T. Granzer
  • K. Strassmeier
COCOA-PUFS is an energy-diverse, time-domain study of the ultra-fast spinning, heavily spotted, yellow giant FK Comae Berenices (FK Com: HD117555; G4 III). This single star is thought to be a recent binary merger, and is exceptionally active by measure of its intense ultraviolet (UV) and X-ray emissions, and proclivity to flare. COCOA-PUFS was carried out with the Hubble Space Telescope in the UV (1200-3000 Å), using mainly its high-performance Cosmic Origins Spectrograph, but also high precision Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph; Chandra X-ray Observatory in the soft X-rays (0.5-10 keV), utilizing its High-Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer; together with supporting photometry and spectropolarimetry in the visible from the ground. This is an introductory report on the project. FK Com displayed variability on a wide range of timescales over all wavelengths during the week-long main campaign, including a large X-ray flare; “super-rotational broadening” of the far-ultraviolet “hot lines” (e.g., Si iv 1393 Å 8 × 104 K) together with chromospheric Mg ii 2800 Å and C ii 1335 Å (1-3 × 104 K); large Doppler swings suggestive of bright regions alternately on advancing and retreating limbs of the star; and substantial redshifts of the epoch-average emission profiles. These behaviors paint a picture of a highly extended, dynamic, hot (˜10 MK) coronal magnetosphere around the star, threaded by cooler structures perhaps analogous to solar prominences and replenished continually by surface activity and flares. Suppression of angular momentum loss by the confining magnetosphere could temporarily postpone the inevitable stellar spindown, thereby lengthening this highly volatile stage of coronal evolution. COordinated Campaign of Observations and Analysis, Photosphere to Upper Atmosphere, of a Fast-rotating Star.
Original languageEnglish
Article number5
JournalAstrophysical Journal Supplement Series
Volume223
Issue number1
ISSN0067-0049
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Mar 2016

    Research areas

  • stars: coronae, stars: individual: HD 117555 & FK Com, ultraviolet: stars, X-rays: stars

ID: 170453908