Spectra of Stellar Flares. Continuum Emission

Spectral studies of stellar flares are discussed in this article. It is shown that at least during strong flares the continuum emission plays a vital role, especially in the blue part of the spectrum. This may explain the fact that the Hβ emission line is suppressed much more strongly than the Hα line during flare maxima. The distribution of the flare energy in the 4600-7200 Å range is obtained during a flare of the star WX UMa. The delays in the maximum values of the equivalent widths of the emission lines relative to the flare maximum are also obtained, as well as the increase in these lines to a maximum when the star is in a quiescent state. While the post-maximum evolution of the equivalent widths can be explained by recombination emission in lines, the pre-flare increase in the line intensities remains incomprehensible. Slow and flare-like variations in the emission lines are also recorded. The spectral classes of three Orion flare stars are determined.