Modeling the Optical (and NUV) Continuum Emission in Stellar Flares - Report on participation in the Kyoto University Superflare Workshop

Abstract

This is a report of my visit to Kyoto University in March 2016 for the Superflare Workshop, supported by the International Research Unit of Advanced Future Studies, Kyoto University. The Superflare Workshop was very well attended by all Japanese superflare researchers on stars and on the Sun, and also by many international experts. There were many valuable discussions about the outstanding problems in flare physics that could be addressed by studying superflare stars in the Kepler field. My presentation described recent work in modeling the white light flare continuum radiation on low mass stars and connected to new models of near-ultraviolet spectra of solar flares. There was discussion of future flare observations with the new 3.8m Japanese telescope at Okayama Observatory, and the possibility for international collaboration to obtain high-time resolution, high-spectral resolution Balmer jump observations in preparation for spectra of superflares.