X-ray activity cycles in stellar coronae
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We present updated results from the ongoing XMM-Newton monitoring program of moderately active, solar-like stars to investigate stellar X-ray activity cycles; here we report on the binary systems Alpha Cen A/B and 61 Cyg A/B. For 61 Cyg A we find a coronal X-ray cycle which clearly reflects the chromospheric activity cycle and is in phase with a ROSAT campaign performed in the 1990s. 61 Cyg A is the first example of a persistent coronal cycle observed on a star other than the Sun. The changes of its coronal properties during the cycle resemble the solar behaviour. The coronal activity of 61 Cyg B is more irregular, but also follows the chromospheric activity. Long-term variability is also present on Alpha Cen A and B. We find that Alpha Cen A, a G2 star very similar to our Sun, fainted in X-rays by at least an order of magnitude during the observation program. This behaviour has never been observed before on Alpha Cen A, but is rather similar to the X-ray behaviour of the Sun. The X-ray emission of the Alpha Cen system is dominated in our observations by Alpha Cen B, which might also have an activity cycle indicated by a significant fainting since 2005.
proceedings of Coronae of Stars and Accretion Disks, Bonn, Dec. 2006, to be published in MmSAI
proceedings of Coronae of Stars and Accretion Disks, Bonn, Dec. 2006, to be published in MmSAI