Letter to the Editor

Evidence for coronal activity cycles on 61 Cygni A and B

¹ Universität Hamburg, Hamburger Sternwarte, Gojenbergsweg 112, 21029 Hamburg, Germany e-mail: ahempelmann@hs.uni-hamburg.de
² Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, MS 15, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA

Corresponding author: A. Hempelmann, ahempelmann@hs.uni-hamburg.de

Received: 2 May 2003
Accepted: 11 June 2003

Abstract

We investigate a four-and-one-half year time-series of ROSAT HRI pointed observations of 61 Cyg A and B and compare the X-ray light curves with the chromospheric Ca HK variability. The ROSAT sampling rate was two pointings per year and typical errors lie in the range of 5–10%. The chromospheric cycles are well-known for both stars from the Mt. Wilson Ca HK survey. Although the time basis of our ROSAT observations is shorter than the 7-and 12-year cycles of components A and B, respectively, we find the long-term trend of coronal activity in close correlation with the chromospheric activity during the observation period, between 1993 and 1998. The chromospheric activity increased through maximum activity down to a minimum for component A, and from maximum to minimum activity for component B. The same behaviour is observed for the X-ray light curves but with much higher amplitudes by factors 2.5–3. The remaining scatter observed around low-order regression curves of coronal activity is small. We conclude that both stars do show coronal cycles and that coronal cycles are the dominant source of variability for 61 Cygni.