First measurement of the magnetic field on FK Com and its relation to the contemporaneous starspot locations

In this study we present simultaneous low-resolution longitudinal magnetic field measurements and high-resolution spectroscopic observations of the cool single giant FK Com. The variation of the magnetic field over the rotational period of 2.4 days is compared with the starspot location obtained using Doppler imaging techniques, V-band photometry and V-I colours. The chromospheric activity is studied simultaneously with the photospheric activity using high resolution observations of the Halpha, Hbeta and Hgamma line profiles. Both the maximum (272 +/- 24 G) and minimum (60 +/- 17 G) in the mean longitudinal magnetic field, , are detected close to the phases where cool spots appear on the stellar surface. A possible explanation for such a behaviour is that the active regions at the two longitudes separated by 0.2 in phase have opposite polarities.Comment: 10 Pages, 11 figures (quality of Figures 7,8 and 10 reduced), accepted for publication in MNRA

Providing Remote Access to Robotic Telescopes by Adopting Grid Technology

We present an architecture for enabling remote access to robotic telescopes through the adoption of Grid technology. With this architecture, Internet connected robotic telescopes form a global network and are controlled by a global resource management system (scheduler), similar to individual compute resources in a Grid. By virtualizing the access to these telescope resources and by describing them and observation requests in a generic language (RTML). Astronomers are provided with an interface to a telescope network, from which they can get the appropriate resources for their observations. Moreover, new kinds of coordinated observations become feasible, such as multi-wavelength campaigns or immediate and continuous monitoring of transient astronomical events. This paper describes the architecture, the processing of observation requests and new research topics in a global network of robotic telescopes

Ellipsoidal primary of the RS CVn binary zeta And: Investigation using high-resolution spectroscopy and optical interferometry

We have obtained high-resolution spectroscopy, optical interferometry, and long-term broad band photometry of the ellipsoidal primary of the RS CVn-type binary system zeta And. Based on the optical interferometry the apparent limb darkened diameter of zeta And is 2.55 +/- 0.09 mas using a uniform disk fit. The Hipparcos distance and the limb-darkened diameter obtained with a uniform disk fit give stellar radius of 15.9 +/- 0.8 Rsolar, and combined with bolometric luminosity, it implies an effective temperature of 4665 +/- 140 K. The temperature maps obtained from high resolution spectra using Doppler imaging show a strong belt of equatorial spots and hints of a cool polar cap. The equatorial spots show a concentration around the phase 0.75. This spot configuration is reminiscent of the one seen in the earlier published temperature maps of zeta And. Investigation of the Halpha line reveals both prominences and cool clouds in the chromosphere. Long-term photometry spanning 12 years shows hints of a spot activity cycle, which is also implied by the Doppler images, but the cycle length cannot be reliably determined from the current data.Comment: 9 pages, 9 figures, accepted for A&

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

COCOA-PUFS is an energy-diverse, time-domain study of the ultra-fast spinning, heavily spotted, yellow giant 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 and X-ray emissions, and proclivity to flare. COCOA-PUFS was carried out with Hubble Space Telescope in the UV (120-300 nm), 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 time scales, 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 139 nm (T~80,000 K) together with chromospheric Mg II 280 nm and C II 133 nm (10,000-30,000 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.Comment: to be published in ApJ

Coordination Dependence of Hyperfine Fields of 5sp Impurities on Ni Surfaces

We present first-principles calculations of the magnetic hyperfine fields H of 5sp impurities on the (001), (111), and (110) surfaces of Ni. We examine the dependence of H on the coordination number by placing the impurity in the surfaces, on top of them at the adatom positions, and in the bulk. We find a strong coordination dependence of H, different and characteristic for each impurity. The behavior is explained in terms of the on-site s-p hybridization as the symmetry is reduced at the surface. Our results are in agreement with recent experimental findings.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure