Simultaneous Optical and Radio Observations of a Large Stellar Flare on EV Lac

Abstract We present simultaneous optical and radio observations of a large stellar flare on the M dwarf EV Lac, captured between 12:00 and 15:00 UT on 2022 October 25. This event was jointly monitored with the 85 cm and 2.16 m optical telescopes at the Xinglong Observatory, the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST), and the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, enabling a comprehensive view of flare energy release and dynamic evolution. The flare persisted for 138 minutes with a bolometric energy exceeding 1.7 × 10 33 erg and exhibited a double-peaked light curve. Temporal H α line profiles show Stark broadening and red asymmetry with a redshift of ∼50 km s −1 near the first flare peak, suggesting downward plasma motion possibly due to chromospheric condensation. Enhanced blue wing emission near the second peak reaches a maximum blueshift of −240 km s −1 , indicating a stellar prominence eruption with an estimated mass of 7.3 × 10 18 –3.3 × 10 19 g. Flare blackbody temperature estimates indicate a peak of 12,500 K during the first peak, oscillating between 5500 K and 8100 K near the second peak, and cooling to 3700 K afterward. FAST radio observations reveal positive frequency-drifting, highly polarized bursts consistent with electron cyclotron maser emission modulated by stellar rotation, indicating magnetically trapped energetic electrons during the flare. This unique observation campaign provides a comprehensive view of plasma heating, plasma motions, and electron acceleration during a large stellar flare, offering new insights into the multiwavelength evolution of flare-related plasma processes in stellar atmospheres.

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Publication Details

Journal
The Astrophysical Journal Letters
Published
2025-09-01
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/adfc5b
Citations
2
Primary Topic
Solar and Space Plasma Dynamics
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
2.31

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article

Simultaneous Optical and Radio Observations of a Large Stellar Flare on EV Lac

Hui Tian, Hongpeng Lu, Jie Zheng, Hiroyuki Maehara et al.
2 citations
The Astrophysical Journal Letters
Solar and Space Plasma Dynamics
2.31
article

Simultaneous Optical and Radio Observations of a Large Stellar Flare on EV Lac

Hui Tian, Hongpeng Lu, Jie Zheng, Hiroyuki Maehara, Kosuke Namekata, Junbo Zhang, Shun Inoue, Jiale Zhang, Jian-Guo Wang, Liyun Zhang, Hechao Chen
article en
2 citations

Abstract

Abstract We present simultaneous optical and radio observations of a large stellar flare on the M dwarf EV Lac, captured between 12:00 and 15:00 UT on 2022 October 25. This event was jointly monitored with the 85 cm and 2.16 m optical telescopes at the Xinglong Observatory, the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST), and the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, enabling a comprehensive view of flare energy release and dynamic evolution. The flare persisted for 138 minutes with a bolometric energy exceeding 1.7 × 10 33 erg and exhibited a double-peaked light curve. Temporal H α line profiles show Stark broadening and red asymmetry with a redshift of ∼50 km s −1 near the first flare peak, suggesting downward plasma motion possibly due to chromospheric condensation. Enhanced blue wing emission near the second peak reaches a maximum blueshift of −240 km s −1 , indicating a stellar prominence eruption with an estimated mass of 7.3 × 10 18 –3.3 × 10 19 g. Flare blackbody temperature estimates indicate a peak of 12,500 K during the first peak, oscillating between 5500 K and 8100 K near the second peak, and cooling to 3700 K afterward. FAST radio observations reveal positive frequency-drifting, highly polarized bursts consistent with electron cyclotron maser emission modulated by stellar rotation, indicating magnetically trapped energetic electrons during the flare. This unique observation campaign provides a comprehensive view of plasma heating, plasma motions, and electron acceleration during a large stellar flare, offering new insights into the multiwavelength evolution of flare-related plasma processes in stellar atmospheres.

The Astrophysical Journal LettersVol. 990(2)
Okayama Shoka University (JP), Goddard Space Flight Center (US), University of America (US), University of Groningen (NL), Guizhou University (CN), Yunnan University (CN), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN), Peking University (CN), Kyoto University (JP), Yunnan Observatories (CN), Heliophysics (US), National Space Science Center (CN), Space Engineering University (CN), National Astronomical Observatories (CN), Catholic University of America (US), Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (NL)
National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Space Telescope Science Institute, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guizhou University, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Bijzonder Onderzoeksfonds UGent, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Openalex Percentile: Top 10%
Solar and Space Plasma Dynamics
2.31
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