STELLA meets RAVE: a search for Maunder Minimum candidate stars

• Applicant: Dr. Silva P. Järvinen
• Subject Area: Astrophysics and Astronomy
• Term: from 2014 to 2017
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 264056313

The RAVE database contains low-resolution CaII infrared triplet (IRT) spectra for 483330 individual stars. We estimate 50000 of them to show an emission component in the core of the resonance lines. With a proper CaII IRT flux calibration from high-resolution spectroscopy with STELLA, we plan to not only convert the RAVE CaII IRT spectra to absolute emission line fluxes but also determine flux-flux relations with CaII H&K and H alpha. From this we intend to infer a solid empirical relation between CaII emission-line flux and effective temperature and gravity, corrected for metallicity. Additional high-resolution echelle spectra shall allow us to analyse the relationships between fluxes measured throughout the optical-NIR spectral range. Finally, we will use our calibrated-flux sample to select a list of true Maunder-minimum candidate stars for further observations.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Panama, USA
• Participating Persons: Dr. Sydney A. Barnes; Jefferson S. Hall, Ph.D.; Professor Dr. Klaus G. Strassmeier; Dr. Michael Weber