# The Kepler Catalog of Stellar Flares

**Authors:** James R. A. Davenport  
**arXiv:** [1607.03494](https://arxiv.org/abs/1607.03494)  
**Date:** 2016-07-12  
**Summary page:** https://www.summarizepaper.com/en/arxiv-id/1607.03494v1/

## Key points

- James R. A. Davenport conducted a study on stellar flares using Kepler light curves
- An iterative light curve de-trending approach was used to filter out variability and detect flares
- The final sample contains 851,168 candidate flare events detected from 4041 stars (1.9% of the Kepler database)
- Average flare energy detected is ~$10^{35}$ erg
- Net fraction of flare stars increases with decreasing stellar mass (as measured by $g-i$ color)
- Tentative detection of flare activity saturation for low-mass stars with rapid rotation below a Rossby number of ~0.03
- Power law decay in flare activity with Rossby number found with a slope of -1, indicating different physical mechanisms at play compared to X-ray activity
- Study provides valuable insights into occurrence and characteristics of stellar flares across different types of stars

## Summary

In a study conducted by James R. A. Davenport, a homogeneous search for stellar flares was performed using every available Kepler light curve. An iterative light curve de-trending approach was used to filter out both astrophysical and systematic variability to detect flares. The flare recovery completeness has also been computed throughout each light curve using artificial flare injection tests, and the tools for this work have been made publicly available. The final sample contains 851,168 candidate flare events recovered above the 68% completeness threshold which were detected from 4041 stars, or 1.9% of the stars in the Kepler database. The average flare energy detected is ~$10^{35}$ erg. The net fraction of flare stars increases with $g-i$ color, or decreasing stellar mass. For stars in this sample with previously measured rotation periods, the total relative flare luminosity is compared to the Rossby number. A tentative detection of flare activity saturation for low-mass stars with rapid rotation below a Rossby number of ~0.03 is found; suggesting that these low-mass stars may have reached their maximum level of magnetic activity and are unable to produce more flares despite their rapid rotation. Additionally, a power law decay in flare activity with Rossby number is found with a slope of -1; shallower than typical measurements for X-ray activity decay with Rossby number; indicating that there may be different physical mechanisms at play in producing flares compared to X-ray activity. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the occurrence and characteristics of stellar flares across different types of stars and can inform future research on magnetic activity and its effects on planetary habitability around these stars.