Detecting activity cycles of late-type dwarfs in Kepler data

Abstract

Using data of fast-rotating active dwarf stars in the Kepler database, we perform time-frequency analysis of the light curves in order to search for signs of activity cycles. We use the phenomenon that the active region latitudes vary with the cycle (like the solar butterfly diagram), which causes the observed rotation period to change as a consequence of differential rotation. We find cycles in 8 cases of the 39 promising targets with periods between of 300-900 days.