S-index periodicity detection based on multiple random spectral observations

Area of Science:

• Stellar astrophysics
• Solar physics
• Astrostatistics

Background:

• The solar magnetic activity cycle significantly impacts Earth, but its origins are not fully understood.
• Observing similar cycles in other stars is difficult due to long observation times and limited data.
• Random observations offer a cost-effective alternative to continuous monitoring for studying stellar magnetic activity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate potential periodicity in stellar magnetic activity using S-index data.
• To explore the feasibility of using S-index measurements for broader astronomical participation.
• To identify potential new magnetic activity cycles in stars.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of multiple, incidentally captured random S-index observations from the Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope.
• Statistical analysis to identify periodicities within the S-index data.
• Comparison of S-index patterns across different stars.

Main Results:

• Potential periodicities were detected in the S-index data of several stars.
• The S-index appears to be a feasible metric for tracking stellar magnetic activity.
• The findings suggest that non-professionals could contribute to stellar magnetic activity research.

Conclusions:

• The study provides preliminary evidence for stellar magnetic activity cycles detectable via S-index periodicity.
• Developing accessible equipment for S-index measurement could democratize stellar magnetic activity research.
• Further extensive data collection is crucial to confirm these findings and discover additional cycles.