The X-ray emission from flares on cool (i.e. spectral-type F-M) stars is
indicative of very energetic, transient phenomena, associated with energy
release via magnetic reconnection. We present a uniform, large-scale survey of
X-ray flare emission. The XMM-Newton Serendipitous Source Catalogue and its
associated data products provide an excellent basis for a comprehensive and
sensitive survey of stellar flares - both from targeted active stars and from
those observed serendipitously in the half-degree diameter field-of-view of
each observation. The 2XMM Catalogue and the associated time-series
(`light-curve') data products have been used as the basis for a survey of X-ray
flares from cool stars in the Hipparcos Tycho-2 catalogue. In addition, we have
generated and analysed spectrally-resolved (i.e. hardness-ratio), X-ray
light-curves. Where available, we have compared XMM OM UV/optical data with the
X-ray light-curves. Our sample contains ~130 flares with well-observed
profiles; they originate from ~70 stars. The flares range in duration from ~1e3
to ~1e4 s, have peak X-ray fluxes from ~1e-13 to ~1e-11 erg/cm2/s, peak X-ray
luminosities from ~1e29 to ~1e32 erg/s, and X-ray energy output from ~1e32 to
~1e35 erg. Most of the ~30 serendipitously-observed stars have little
previously reported information. The hardness-ratio plots clearly illustrate
the spectral (and hence inferred temperature) variations characteristic of many
flares, and provide an easily accessible overview of the data. We present flare
frequency distributions from both target and serendipitous observations. The
latter provide an unbiased (with respect to stellar activity) study of flare
energetics; in addition, they allow us to predict numbers of stellar flares
that may be detected in future X-ray wide-field surveys. The serendipitous
sample demonstrates the need for care when calculating flaring rates.Comment: 26 pages, 24 figures. Additional tables and figures available as 4
ancillary files. To be published in Astronomy and Astrophysic
