Trends in Ultracool Dwarf Magnetism. I. X-Ray Suppression and Radio Enhancement
View/ Open
Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637x/785/1/9Metadata
Show full item recordCitation
Williams, P. K. G., B. A. Cook, and E. Berger. 2014. Trends in Ultracool Dwarf Magnetism. I. X-Ray Suppression and Radio Enhancement. The Astrophysical Journal 785, no. 1: 9. doi:10.1088/0004-637x/785/1/9.Abstract
Although ultracool dwarfs (UCDs) are now known to generate and dissipate strong magnetic fields, a clear understanding of the underlying dynamo is still lacking. We have performed X-ray and radio observations of seven UCDs in a narrow range of spectral type (M6.5–M9.5) but spanning a wide range of projected rotational velocities (v sin i ≈ 3–40 km s−1). We have also analyzed unpublished archival Chandra observations of four additional objects. All of the newly-observed targets are detected in the X-ray, while only one is detected in the radio, with the remainder having sensitive upper limits. We present a database of UCDs with both radio and X-ray measurements and consider the data in light of the so-called Güdel-Benz relation (GBR) between magnetic activity in these bands. Some UCDs have very bright radio emission and faint X-ray emission compared to what would be expected for rapid rotators, while others show opposite behavior. We show that UCDs would still be radio-over-luminous relative to the GBR even if their X-ray emission were at standard rapid-rotator “saturation” levels. Recent results from Zeeman-Doppler imaging and geodynamo simulations suggest that rapidly-rotating UCDs may harbor a bistable dynamo that supports either a stronger, axisymmetric magnetic field or a weaker, non-axisymmetric field. We suggest that the data can be explained in a scenario in which strong-field objects obey the GBR while weak-field objects are radio-over-luminous and X-rayunder-luminous, possibly because of a population of gyrosynchrotron-emitting coronal electrons that is continuously replenished by low-energy reconnection events.Other Sources
https://arxiv.org/abs/1310.6757Terms of Use
This article is made available under the terms and conditions applicable to Open Access Policy Articles, as set forth at http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:dash.current.terms-of-use#OAPCitable link to this page
http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:30496616
Collections
- FAS Scholarly Articles [18304]
Contact administrator regarding this item (to report mistakes or request changes)