G. S. Vaiana

Results from an extensive Einstein stellar survey

We report the preliminary results of the Einstein Observatory stellar X-ray survey. To date, 143 soft X-ray sources have been identified with stellar counterparts, leaving no doubt that stars in general constitute a pervasive class of low-luminosity galactic X-ray sources. We have detected stars along the entire main sequence, of all luminosity classes, pre-main sequence stars as well as very evolved stars. Early type OB stars have X-ray luminosities in the range approx.10/sup 31/ to approx.10/sup 34/ ergs s/sup -1/; late type stars show a somewhat lower range of X-ray emission levels, from approx.10/sup 26/ to approx.10/sup 31/ ergs s/sup -1/. Late type main-sequence stars show little dependence of X-ray emission levels upon stellar effective temperature; similarly, the observations suggest weak, if any, dependence of X-ray luminosity upon effective gravity. Instead, the data show a broad range of emission levels (approx.three orders of magnitude) throughout the main sequence later than F0. Comparison of the data with published theories of acoustically heated coronae shows that these models are inadequate to explain our results. The data are consistent with magnetically dominated coronae, as in the solar case.

Einstein Observatory coronal temperatures of late-type stars

The results are presented of a survey of the coronal temperatures of late-type stars using the Einstein Observatory IPC. The spectral analysis shows that the frequently found one- and two-temperature descriptions are mainly influenced by the SNR of the data and that models using continuous emission measure distributions can provide equally adequate and physically more meaningful and more plausible descriptions. Intrinsic differences in differential emission measure distributions are found for four groups of stars. M dwarfs generally show evidence for high-temperature gas in conjunction with lower-temperature material, while main-sequence stars of types F and G have the high-temperature component either absent or very weak. Very hot coronae without the lower-temperature component appearing in dwarf stars are evident in most of the giant stars studied. RS CVn systems show evidence for extremely hot coronae, sometimes with no accompanying lower-temperature material.

Coronal closed structures. IV - Hydrodynamical stability and response to heating perturbations

The response of magnetically confined atmospheres to perturbations in the temperature and density distribution, and the local heating rate by means of a one-dimensional time-dependent hydrodynamical code, which incorporates the full energy, momentum and mass conservation equations is studied. These studies extend the linear instability analysis of Habbal and Rosner (1979) into the finite-amplitude regime, and generalize the confined atmosphere models of Serio et al., to the time-dependent domain. The results show that closed coronal atmospheres are stable against finite-amplitude perturbations if the chromospheric response is taken into account; and observed correlated increases in coronal density and temperature can only be achieved under quiescent conditions by increasing the heat deposition rate relatively more in the chromosphere than in the corona.

An Einstein Observatory X-ray survey of main-sequence stars with shallow convection zones

The results of an X-ray survey of bright late A and early F stars on the main B-V sequence between 0.1 and 0.5 are presented. All the stars were observed with the Einstein Observatory for a period of at least 500 seconds. The survey results show significantly larger X-ray luminosities for the sample binaries than for the single stars. It is suggested that the difference is due to the presence of multiple X-ray sources in binaries. It is shown that the X-ray luminosities for single stars increase rapidly with increasing color, and that the relation Lx/Lbol is equal to about 10 to the -7th does not hold for A stars. No correlation was found between X-ray luminosity and projected equatorial rotation velocity. It is argued on the basis of the observations that X-ray emission in the sample stars originated from coronae. The available observational evidence supporting this view is discussed.

Magnetic fields and coronal heating

General considerations concerning the scaling properties of magnetic-field--related colonal heating mechanisms are used to build a two-parameter model for the heating of closed coronal regions. The model perdicts the way in which coronal temperature and electron density are related to photospheric magnetic field strength and the size of the region, using the additional constraint provided by the scaling law of rosner, tucker, and Viaiana. The model successfully duplicates the observed scaling of total thermal energy content with total longitudinal flux; it also predict a relation between the coronal energy density (or pressure) and the longitudinal field strength modified by the region scale size. The observational data yield a similar relation, pproportional/sup 1.6/. A parameter of the theory, which is evaluated by fitting to the data, is the product ..cap alpha..upsilon/sub phi/, where ..cap alpha.. is the ratio of azimuthal to longitudinal magnetic field and upsilon/sub phi/ is the effective twisting velocity of the loop footpoints, which supplies the energy for coronal heating.

GRAZING-INCIDENCE TELESCOPES FOR X-RAY ASTRONOMY.

We review the progress made at our laboratory over the past several years in developing grazing-incidence imaging X-ray optics. Mirrors, detection systems and dispersion techniques are discussed and experimental results are given. We discuss the application of two telescope systems to a number of experimental observations in X-ray astronomy.

X-ray Structures of the Sun during the Importance 1N Flare of 8 June 1968

High-resolution solar x-ray images were obtained with a rocket-borne grazing incidence telescope. The x-ray flare is large in extent, has fine strulctuire, and follows a neutral magnetic line. X-ray emitting coronal links interconnect active regions. The general coronal emission at the limb and several faint regions on the disc are observed.

Solar magnetic fields - The generation of emerging flux

X-ray observations have provided information about magnetic fields on the sun, and the implications of these observations are discussed. The pattern of small-scale flux emergence is quite different from that of active regions. It is inferred that the small-scale fields originate fairly high in the convective zone, while the fields in active regions have a deeper origin. The small-scale turbulent fields are only loosely related to the fields that define the normal solar cycle. The way in which dynamo models must be modified in the light of these results is indicated.

Einstein Observatory survey of X-ray emission from solar-type stars - The late F and G dwarf stars

Results of a volume-limited X-ray survey of stars of luminosity classes IV and V in the spectral range F7-G9 observed with the Einstein Observatory are presented. Using survival analysis techniques, the stellar X-ray luminosity function in the 0.15-4.0 keV energy band for both single and multiple sources. It is shown that the difference in X-ray luminosity between these two classes of sources is consistent with the superposition of individual components in multiple-component systems, whose X-ray properties are similar to those of the single-component sources. The X-ray emission of the stars in our sample is well correlated with their chromospheric CA II H-K line emission and with their projected equatorial rotational velocity. Comparison of the X-ray luminosity function constructed for the sample of the dG stars of the local population with the corresponding functions derived elsewhere for the Hyades, the Pleiades, and the Orion Ic open cluster confirms that the level of X-ray emission decreases with stellar age. 62 references.

Einstein X-ray survey of the Pleiades - The dependence of X-ray emission on stellar age

The data obtained with two pointed observations of 1 deg by 1 deg fields of the Pleiades region have been analyzed, and the results are presented. The maximum-likelihood X-ray luminosity functions for the Pleiades G and K stars in the cluster are derived, and it is shown that, for the G stars, the Pleiades X-ray luminosity function is significantly brighter than the corresponding function for Hyades G dwarf stars. This finding indicates a dependence of X-ray luminosity on stellar age, which is confirmed by comparison of the same data with median X-ray luminosities of pre-main sequence and local disk population dwarf G stars. It is suggested that the significantly larger number of bright X-ray sources associated with G stars than with K stars, the lack of detection of M stars, and the relatively rapid rotation of the Pleiades K stars can be explained in terms of the onset of internal differential rotation near the convective envelope-radidative core interface after the spin-up phase during evolution to the main sequence. 48 references.