Solar Flare Analysis for Exoplanet Detection
Christopher Albert
Department of Physics & Astronomy
Faculty Supervisor: John Brewer
Solar flares are a result of differential solar rotation dragging magnetic field lines along the outside of the star until they snap and release incredible amounts of energy in the form of charged particles. When these flares are large enough, they are considered coronal mass ejections, or CMEs. CMEs regularly reach Earth and are deflected by the Earth's magnetic field. However, large enough CMEs have been known to interfere with communications and other electronics on the ground, even causing power outages and blackouts. There has been some evidence that these large solar flares can be predicted from solar spectra, and a more detailed investigation may confirm this. Within the 24-hour period leading up to large flares, there may be certain time-variable patterns in the spectrum of the Sun that would indicate a flare is imminent.
In order to investigate this, I will be using solar spectrum data from the Lowell Observatory Solar Telescope (LOST) instrument at the Lowell Discovery Telescope (LDT) in Happy Jack, Arizona. I plan to identify spectral features and other time-dependent patterns in the spectra throughout the day leading up to the solar flare, and compare these features to the solar spectra not immediately before or during CME events. I will also investigate the variability and repeatability of any patterns I find. Any avenue by which large CMEs can be predicted should be thoroughly investigated, especially due to the effects of such flares in regions of the Earth that do not have infrastructure to protect against large unexpected power surges. Additionally, understanding patterns of stellar activity and variability may lead to improved precision for radial velocity (RV) measurements. This extreme precision becomes especially necessary for detection of small, Earth-like planets around dim, Sun-like stars.