Activity in F stars

Abstract

Measurements of He I 5876 A and IUE measurements of chromospheric and transition region lines in a large sample of F-type stars are presented. The data show that activity is detectable in nearly all early F-type stars and differs in several of its characteristics from that typically seen in cooler stars with slow rotation and fully developed convective zones. The onset of activity occurs near B-V = 0.28, which corresponds approximately to spectral type F0 and T(eff) = 7300 K. There is no correlation between the level of activity and the abundances of lithium and beryllium in F stars hotter than T(eff) = 6600 K. All but one of the stars in the 6600-7300 K temperature interval are active. The levels of activity in these stars are independent of Rossby number.