Magnetic fields play an important role at all stages of stellar evolution. In Sun-like stars, they are generated in the outer convective layers. Studying the large-scale magnetic fields of these stars enlightens our understanding of the field properties and gives us observational constraints for the field generation models. In this review, I summarise the current observational picture of the large-scale magnetic fields of Sun-like stars, in particular solar-twins and planet-host stars. I will discuss the observations of large-scale magnetic cycles, and compare these to the solar cycle.

Using a new uniform sample of 824 solar and late-type stars with measured X-ray luminosities and rotation periods we have studied the relationship between rotation and stellar activity that is believed to be a probe of the underlying stellar dynamo. Using an unbiased subset of the sample we calculate the power law slope of the unsaturated regime of the activity – rotation relationship as LX / Lbol ∝ Roβ, where β = − 2.70 ± 0.13. This is inconsistent with the canonical β = − 2 slope to a confidence of 5σ and argues for an interface-type dynamo. We map out three regimes of coronal emission as a function of stellar mass and age, using the empirical saturation threshold and theoretical super-saturation thresholds. We find that the empirical saturation timescale is well correlated with the time at which stars transition from the rapidly rotating convective sequence to the slowly rotating interface sequence in stellar spin-down models. This may be hinting at fundamental changes in the underlying stellar dynamo or internal structure. We also present the first discovery of an X-ray unsaturated, fully convective M star, which may be hinting at an underlying rotation - activity relationship in fully convective stars hitherto not observed. Finally we present early results from a blind search for stellar X-ray cycles that can place valuable constraints on the underlying ubiquity of solar-like activity cycles.

Differential rotation and meridional flow are key ingredients in flux transport dynamo models of the solar activity cycle. As the subsurface flow pattern is not sufficiently constrained by observations, it is a major source of uncertainty in solar and stellar dynamo models. We discuss the current mean field theory of stellar differential rotation and meridional flows and its predicitons for the Sun and stars on the lower main sequence.

The direct measurements of the meridional flow velocities on stars are impossible today. We suppose that the matter on a surface of solar-like stars with stable activity period passes the way equal to 2π R∗ during the stellar Hale cycle. We present here the dependence of meridional flow velocity on Rossby number, which is an effective parameter of the stellar magnetic dynamo.

Cross-correlation of consecutive Doppler images is one of the most common techniques used to detect surface differential rotation (hereafter DR) on spotted stars. The disadvantage of a single cross-correlation is, however, that the expected DR pattern can be overwhelmed by sudden changes in the apparent spot configuration. Another way to reconstruct the image shear using Doppler imaging is to include a predefined latitude-dependent rotation law in the inversion code (‘sheared image method’). However, special but not unusual spot distributions, such like a large polar cap or an equatorial belt (e.g., small random spots evenly distributed along the equator), can distort the rotation profile similarly as the DR does, consequently, yielding incorrect measure of the DR from the sheared image method. To avoid these problems, the technique of measuring DR from averaged cross-correlations using time-series Doppler images (‘ACCORD’) is introduced and the reliability of this tool is demonstrated on artificial data.

MAXI started its operation in 2009 August. Owing to its unprecedentedly high sensitivity as an all-sky X-ray monitor and to its capability of real-time data transfer, we have detected 56 strong flares from twenty-one active stars (eleven RS CVn systems, one Algol system, seven dMe stars, one dKe star and one Young Stellar Object). These flares have large X-ray luminosity of 6 × 1030 –5 × 1033 ergs s−1 in the 2–20 keV band. The flares can be thought to be high ends among their own categories. During the flare from AT Mic on 2012 April 18th, one of the largest X-ray luminosities was recorded as a dMe star, 6 × 1032 ergs s−1 in the 2–20 keV band. It is larger than its bolometric luminosity by 4 times. The total energy emitted during the flare is 1036 ergs in the same band. Such total energy can be obtained on large flares from RS CVn system, but not on any other flares from dMe stars. In this proceeding, we report on the present situation in characteristics of hyper X-ray flares on each stellar categories.

Up to now, many techniques have been developed to detect and observe exoplanets, the radial velocity (RV) method being the most prolific one. However, stellar magnetic spots can mimic an exoplanet transit signal and lead to a false detection. A few models have already been developed to constrain the different signature of exoplanets and spots, but they only concern RV measurements or photometry. An interferometric approach, with high angular resolution capabilities, could resolve this problem.

Optical interferometry is a powerful method to measure accurate stellar diameters, and derive fundamental parameters of stars and exoplanets minimum masses. We have built an analytical code able to calculate visibility moduli and closure phases of stars with a transiting exoplanet, to be compared with a star with no exoplanet. From the difference of interferometric signal, we can derive the presence of the exoplanet, but this requires that the star is resolved enough. We have tested this code with current available facilities like VEGA/CHARA and determined which already discovered exoplanets systems can be resolved enough to test this method.

To make a more general study, we also tested different parameters (exoplanet and stellar diameters, exoplanet position) that can lead to a variation of the minimum baseline length required to see the exoplanet signal on the visibility modulus and the phase. Stellar spots act in the same way, but the difference of local intensity between an exoplanet transit and a spot can easily be studied thanks to the interferometric measurements.

The advent of precision space-based photometric missions such as MOST, CoRoT and Kepler has revealed stellar magnetic activity in unprecedented detail. These observations enable new investigations into the fundamental nature of stellar magnetism by furthering our understanding of the stellar rotation and differential rotation that generate the field, and the photometric variability caused by the surface manifestations of the field. In the case of stars with planetary candidates, these data also offer synergy between studies of stars and planets. Here, I review the possibilities and challenges for deepening our understanding of magnetism in solar-like stars in the era of space-based precision photometry.

With the precise, nearly-continuous photometry from the Kepler satellite and the sub-milliarcsecond resolving capabilities of the CHARA Array, astronomy is entering a new age for the imaging and understanding of stellar magnetic activity. We present first results from our Guest Observer Program, where 180 single-epoch surface image reconstructions of KIC 5110407 have revealed differential rotation and hints of magnetic activity cycles based on both spot and flare variations. Analysis of our larger, full dataset will establish in unprecedented detail how surface magnetic activity correlates with stellar age and spectral type. In addition to Kepler work, we have harnessed the power of the world's largest infrared interferometer to “directly” image the spotted surfaces of a few of the closest RS CVn systems, allowing a comparison of contemporaneous Doppler and light-curve inversion imaging techniques.

Stellar rotation is a well-known quantity for tens of thousands of stars. In contrast, differential rotation (DR) is only known for a handful of stars because DR cannot be measured directly. We present rotation periods for more than 24,000 active stars in the Kepler field. Thereof, more than 18,000 stars show a second period, which we attribute to surface differential rotation. Our rotation periods are consistent with previous measurements and the theory of magnetic braking. Our results on DR paint a rather different picture: The temperature dependence of the absolute shear δΩ is split into two groups separated around 6000 K. For the cooler stars δΩ only slightly increases with temperature, whereas stars hotter than 6000 K show large scatter. This is the first time that DR has been measured for such a large number of stars.

Sunspots are important signatures of the global solar magnetic field cycle. It is believed that other stars also present these same phenomena. However, today it is not possible to observe directly star spots due to their very small sizes. The method applied here studies star spots by detecting small variations in the stellar light curve during a planetary transit. When the planet passes in front of its host star, there is a chance of it occulting, at least partially, a spot. This allows the determination of the spots physical characteristics, such as size, temperature, and location on the stellar surface. In the case of the Sun, there exists a relation between the magnetic field and the spot temperature. We estimate the magnetic field component along the line-of-sight and the intensity of sunspots using data from the MDI instrument on board of the SOHO satellite. Assuming that the same relation applies to other stars, we estimate spots magnetic fields of CoRoT-2 and Kepler-17 stars.

The dynamo process is believed to drive the magnetic activity of stars like the Sun that have an outer convection zone. Large spectroscopic surveys showed that there is a relation between the rotation periods and the cycle periods: the longer the rotation period is, the longer the magnetic activity cycle period will be. We present the analysis of F stars observed by Kepler for which individual p modes have been measure and with surface rotation periods shorter than 12 days. We defined magnetic indicators and proxies based on photometric observations to help characterise the activity levels of the stars. With the Kepler data, we investigate the existence of stars with cycles (regular or not), stars with a modulation that could be related to magnetic activity, and stars that seem to show a flat behaviour.

Using data of fast-rotating active dwarf stars in the Kepler database, we perform time-frequency analysis of the light curves in order to search for signs of activity cycles. We use the phenomenon that the active region latitudes vary with the cycle (like the solar butterfly diagram), which causes the observed rotation period to change as a consequence of differential rotation. We find cycles in 8 cases of the 39 promising targets with periods between of 300–900 days.

The great majority of exoplanets discovered so far are orbiting cool, low-mass stars whose properties are relatively similar to the Sun. However, the stellar magnetism of these stars can be significantly different from the solar one, both in topology and intensity. In addition, due to the present-day technology used in exoplanetary searches, most of the currently known exoplanets are found orbiting at extremely close distances to their host stars (< 0.1 au). The dramatic differences in stellar magnetism and orbital radius can make the interplanetary medium of exoplanetary systems remarkably distinct from that of the Solar System. To constrain interactions between exoplanets and their host-star's magnetised winds and to characterise the interplanetary medium that surrounds exoplanets, more realistic stellar wind models, which account for factors such as stellar rotation and the complex stellar magnetic field configurations of cool stars, must be employed. Here, I briefly review the latest progress made in data-driven modelling of magnetised stellar winds. I also show that the interaction of the stellar winds with exoplanets can lead to several observable signatures, some of which that are absent in our own Solar System.

Recent results showed that the magnetic field of M-dwarf (dM) stars, currently the main targets in searches for terrestrial planets, is very different from the solar one, both in topology as well as in intensity. In particular, the magnetised environment surrounding a planet orbiting in the habitable zone (HZ) of dM stars can differ substantially to the one encountered around the Earth. These extreme magnetic fields can compress planetary magnetospheres to such an extent that a significant fraction of the planet's atmosphere may be exposed to erosion by the stellar wind. Using observed surface magnetic maps for a sample of 15 dM stars, we investigate the minimum degree of planetary magnetospheric compression caused by the intense stellar magnetic fields. We show that hypothetical Earth-like planets with similar terrestrial magnetisation (~1 G) orbiting at the inner (outer) edge of the HZ of these stars would present magnetospheres that extend at most up to 6.1 (11.7) planetary radii. To be able to sustain an Earth-sized magnetosphere, the terrestrial planet would either need to orbit significantly farther out than the traditional limits of the HZ; or else, if it were orbiting within the life-bearing region, it would require a minimum magnetic field ranging from a few G to up to a few thousand G.

It is a long-standing question in exoplanet research if Hot Jupiters can influence the magnetic activity of their host stars. While cool stars usually spin down with age and become inactive, an input of angular momentum through tidal interaction, as seen for example in close binaries, can preserve high activity levels over time. This may also be the case for cool stars hosting a Hot Jupiter. However, selection effects from planet detection methods often dominate the activity levels seen in samples of exoplanet host stars, and planet-induced, systematically enhanced stellar activity has not been detected unambiguously so far. We have developed an approach to identify planet-induced stellar spin-up avoiding the selection biases from planet detection, by using visual proper motion binaries in which only one of the stars possesses a Hot Jupiter. This approach immediately rids one of the ambiguities of detection biases: with two co-eval stars, the second star acts as a negative control. We present results from our ongoing observational campaign at X-ray wavelengths and in the optical, and present several outstanding systems which display significant age/activity discrepancies presumably caused by their Hot Jupiters.

As part of the project Pathways to Habitability (http://path.univie.ac.at/), we study the properties of the stellar winds of low-mass and Sun-like stars, and their influences on the atmospheres of potentially habitable planets. For this purpose, we combine mapping of stellar magnetic fields with magnetohydrodynamic wind models.

Asymmetries in exoplanet transits are a useful tool for developing our understanding of magnetic activity on both stars and planets outside our Solar System. Near-UV observations of the WASP-12 system have revealed asymmetries in the timing of the transit when compared with the optical light curve. In this proceedings we review a number of reported asymmetries and present work simulating near-UV transits for the hot-Jupiter hosting star HD 189733.

Stellar variability induced by starspots can hamper the detection of exoplanets and bias planet property estimations. These features can also be used to study star-planet interactions as well as inferring properties from the underlying stellar dynamo. However, typical techniques, such as ZDI, are not possible for most host-stars. We present a robust method based on spot modelling to map the surface of active star allowing us to statistically study the effects and interactions of stellar magnetism with transiting exoplanets. The method is applied to the active Kepler-9 star where we find small evidence for a possible interaction between planet and stellar magnetosphere which leads to a 2:1 resonance between spot rotation and orbital period.

The habitable zone is the range of orbital distances from a host star in which an exoplanet would have a surface temperature suitable for maintaining liquid water. This makes the orbital distance of exoplanets an important variable when searching for extra-solar Earth analogues. However, the orbital distance is not the only important factor determining whether an exoplanet is potentially suitable for life. The ability of an exoplanet to retain an atmosphere is also vital since it helps regulate surface temperatures. One mechanism by which a planetary atmosphere can be lost is erosion due to a strong stellar wind from the host star. The presence of a magnetosphere can help to shield a planetary atmosphere from this process. Using a simple stellar wind model, we present the impact that stellar winds might have on magnetospheric sizes of exoplanets. This is done with the aim of further constraining the parameter space in which we look for extra-solar Earth analogues.