1999MNRAS.310..784F

The concept of the nanoflare, used in interpreting the solar X-ray corona, is extended to RS CVn stars which, unlike the Sun, exhibit non-thermal quiescent radio spectra. The theoretical synchrotron-radiation radio spectrum emitted by a regular series of nanoflare-electron pulses, injected into the coronal magnetic field, is derived: for an electron energy spectrum N(γ)∝γ^–s, the spectral power density is given by P(ν)∝ν^–s/2. This result is valid for the observation of a series of nanoflares with total time duration ≳ the characteristic electron radiation lifetime, which is the case for electrons trapped in extensive coronal regions such as exist in RS CVn stars on the magnetic-dipole magnetospheric model. The tenuous coronal plasma allows the electrons to give a radio spectrum unaffected at high frequencies (≳5GHz) by electron collision loss, while the emission of bremsstrahlung X-rays by the electrons also occurs with a spectrum that is related to their radio emission. The observation of individual X-ray bursts, which would provide direct evidence for microflares, is not, however, attainable with current instrumentation.