Aims. We aim to describe the pre-main-sequence and main-sequence evolution of X-ray and extreme-ultaviolet radiation of a solarmass star based on its rotational evolution starting with a realistic range of initial rotation rates. Methods. We derive evolutionary tracks of X-ray radiation based on a rotational evolution model for solar-mass stars and the rotationactivity relation. We compare these tracks to X-ray luminosity distributions of stars in clusters with different ages. Results. We find agreement between the evolutionary tracks derived from rotation and the X-ray luminosity distributions from observations. Depending on the initial rotation rate, a star might remain at the X-ray saturation level for very different time periods, from ≈10 Myr to ≈300 Myr for slow and fast rotators, respectively. Conclusions. Rotational evolution with a spread of initial conditions leads to a particularly wide distribution of possible X-ray luminosities in the age range of 20-500 Myr, before rotational convergence and therefore X-ray luminosity convergence sets in. This age range is crucial for the evolution of young planetary atmospheres and may thus lead to very different planetary evolution histories.
Aims. We study the evolution of the rotation and the high energy X-ray, extreme ultraviolet (EUV), and Ly-α emission for F, G, K, and M dwarfs, with masses between 0.1 and 1.2 M⊙, and provide a freely available set of evolutionary tracks for use in planetary atmosphere studies. Methods. We develop a physical rotational evolution model constrained by observed rotation distributions in young stellar clusters. Using rotation, X-ray, EUV, and Ly-α measurements, we derive empirical relations for the dependences of high energy emission on stellar parameters. Our description of X-ray evolution is validated using measurements of X-ray distributions in young clusters. Results. A star’s X-ray, EUV, and Ly-α evolution is determined by its mass and initial rotation rate, with initial rotation being less important for lower mass stars. At all ages, solar mass stars are significantly more X-ray luminous than lower mass stars and stars that are born as rapid rotators remain highly active longer than those born as slow rotators. At all evolutionary stages, habitable zone planets receive higher X-ray and EUV fluxes when orbiting lower mass stars due to their longer evolutionary timescales. The rates of flares follow similar evolutionary trends with higher mass stars flaring more often than lower mass stars at all ages, though habitable zone planets are likely influenced by flares more when orbiting lower mass stars. Conclusions. Our results show that single decay laws are insufficient to describe stellar activity evolution and highlight the need for a more comprehensive description based on the evolution of rotation that also includes the effects of short-term variability. Planets at similar orbital distances from their host stars receive significantly more X-ray and EUV energy over their lifetimes when orbiting higher mass stars. The common belief that M dwarfs are more X-ray and EUV active than G dwarfs is justified only when considering the fluxes received by planets with similar effective temperatures, such as those in the habitable zone.
Aims. We study the evolution of stellar rotation and wind properties for low-mass main-sequence stars. Our aim is to use rotational evolution models to constrain the mass loss rates in stellar winds and to predict how their properties evolve with time on the mainsequence. Methods. We construct a rotational evolution model that is driven by observed rotational distributions of young stellar clusters. Fitting the free parameters in our model allows us to predict how wind mass loss rate depends on stellar mass, radius, and rotation. We couple the results to the wind model developed in Paper I of this series to predict how wind properties evolve on the main-sequence. Results. We estimate that wind mass loss rate scales with stellar parameters asṀ ∝ R 2 Ω 1.33 M −3.36 . We estimate that at young ages, the solar wind likely had a mass loss rate that is an order of magnitude higher than that of the current solar wind. This leads to the wind having a higher density at younger ages; however, the magnitude of this change depends strongly on how we scale wind temperature. Due to the spread in rotation rates, young stars show a large range of wind properties at a given age. This spread in wind properties disappears as the stars age.Conclusions. There is a large uncertainty in our knowledge of the evolution of stellar winds on the main-sequence, due both to our lack of knowledge of stellar winds and the large spread in rotation rates at young ages. Given the sensitivity of planetary atmospheres to stellar wind and radiation conditions, these uncertainties can be significant for our understanding of the evolution of planetary environments.
There is growing observational and theoretical evidence suggesting that atmospheric escape is a key driver of planetary evolution. Commonly, planetary evolution models employ simple analytic formulae (e.g., energy limited escape) that are often inaccurate, and more detailed physical models of atmospheric loss usually only give snapshots of an atmosphere's structure and are difficult to use for evolutionary studies. To overcome this problem, we upgrade and employ an already existing upper atmosphere hydrodynamic code to produce a large grid of about 7000 models covering planets with masses 1 -39 M ⊕ with hydrogen-dominated atmospheres and orbiting late-type stars. The modelled planets have equilibrium temperatures ranging between 300 and 2000 K. For each considered stellar mass, we account for three different values of the high-energy stellar flux (i.e., low, moderate, and high activity). For each computed model, we derive the atmospheric temperature, number density, bulk velocity, X-ray and EUV (XUV) volume heating rates, and abundance of the considered species as a function of distance from the planetary center. From these quantities, we estimate the positions of the maximum dissociation and ionisation, the mass-loss rate, and the effective radius of the XUV absorption. We show that our results are in good agreement with previously published studies employing similar codes. We further present an interpolation routine capable to extract the modelling output parameters for any planet lying within the grid boundaries. We use the grid to identify the connection between the system parameters and the resulting atmospheric properties. We finally apply the grid and the interpolation routine to estimate atmospheric evolutionary tracks for the close-in, high-density planets CoRoT-7 b and HD219134 b,c. Assuming the planets ever accreted primary, hydrogen-dominated atmospheres, we find that the three planets must have lost them within a few Myr.
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