On X-ray Variability in Active Binary Stars

Abstract

We compare the count-rates of active binaries observed by Einstein and ROSAT. We find significant evidence for short-term variability (approx 0.32) and marginal evidence for a larger variability at longer timescales (approx 0.38). Modeling this excess as cyclic variability, we place an upper limit on the relative amplitude of the cyclic component (I_cyc/I_min < 4) for active binaries, significantly less than the variations seen in the Solar X-ray output over the Solar cycle.

27 pages postscript, 5 embedded figures. accepted for publication in ApJ