Carrington-type events but in the context of other stars, not just the Sun.
🌟 What a “Carrington Event” Is
- The Carrington Event (1859) was an extremely powerful solar storm caused by a coronal mass ejection (CME) hitting Earth.
- It produced intense aurorae and severely disrupted telegraph systems.
- Its estimated energy release was ~10^32 ergs — an order of magnitude above most typical CMEs.
🌠 “Carrington-Type” Events on Other Stars
Begun to identify stellar superflares — analogues to Carrington-type events, but often much more powerful. These are seen on Sun-like stars and other spectral types.
1. Superflares on Solar-type (G-type) Stars
- Data from Kepler and TESS has revealed many stars similar to the Sun experiencing flares 10–1000× stronger than any solar flare on record.
- These superflares likely involve huge CMEs and magnetic reconnection events far beyond solar scale.
- For example:
- Maehara et al. 2012 identified dozens of superflares on G-type stars.
- Energy release up to 10^35 ergs (three orders of magnitude above Carrington).
2. Flares from Young or Active Stars
- M dwarfs (red dwarfs) and young stars flare frequently and violently.
- Proxima Centauri, our nearest star, produces flares thousands of times more energetic than typical solar flares, with dramatic effects on exoplanet atmospheres.
3. Indirect Observations
- We don’t directly detect the CME plasma from other stars yet, but we infer them via:
- X-ray and UV flare profiles
- Balmer line asymmetries (Hα, Hβ)
- Radio bursts consistent with stellar mass ejections.
🪐 Impact on Exoplanets
- Carrington-type (or super-Carrington) events on exoplanet hosts can:
- Strip atmospheres over time.
- Increase surface radiation doses drastically.
- Complicate biosignature detection.
For M-dwarf exoplanets in habitable zones, this is a major habitability hazard.
🔭 Current Research Directions
- TESS + Kepler: Cataloging superflares on G- and K-type stars.
- Radio astronomy (LOFAR, VLA): Searching for stellar Type II radio bursts as CME signatures.
- Modeling: Magnetic reconnection and CME mass-loss on other stars.
📊 Quick Comparison
| Property | Solar Carrington Event | G-type Star Superflare | M-dwarf Flare |
| Energy (ergs) | 10^32 | 10^34–10^35 | 10^33–10^36 |
| CME Mass (g) (est.) | 10^16–10^17 | 10^18–10^19? | 10^19+ |
| Frequency | ~1 per 500 years? | 1 per decade (star) | Daily/Weekly |