M-dwarf Eclipsing Binaries with Flare Activity

Abstract The physical properties of 12 eclipsing binaries of M-type dwarfs with superflare activity are characterized by combining the ground-based spectroscopic measurements and the photometric light curves obtained by the Kepler Space Telescope. All of these binary systems have Algol-type orbital configurations. The primary components are mostly of the early M-type dwarfs (M0–M3). Even though the occurrence rate of large flares with energy >10 34 erg of the EBs is less than the hyperflaring M dwarfs, the corresponding cumulative flare frequency is in general about a factor of 10 higher than the single M dwarfs with flare activity. This might be the consequence of magnetic interaction between the primary and secondary component of individual binaries. The slow rotators are not as active as the fast rotators, some of which display a possible eclipsing effect in their flare activity.