Stellar Chromospheric Activity
March 10, 2008 – 10:17 amOr, “Everything you wanted to know about stellar chromospheres but were afraid to ask.”
I received an invite about a year ago to write a review article on stellar chromospheres for the online, peer-reviewed journal Living Reviews in Solar Physics. It was published today, and you can find it here. A year is about right for writing an article like this, having some referees read it and return their reports, revise it, and get it published. The idea behind a “living review” is to allow the author to periodically update it with the latest developments in the subject area, which I will be doing from time to time.
As usual for a review, this article doesn’t contain original research, but rather provides an overview of the historical development and current thinking in the field. Major topics include discussions of the atmospheres of the Sun and Sun-like stars, solar and stellar activity, and variations in solar and stellar brightness on various time scales. I also touch briefly on the implications of the latter regarding terrestrial climate forcing. Within the constraints of writing for the intended audience (grad students and professionals), I’ve tried to be as accessible and readable as possible. You can read it online or download it in PDF or other formats.