Splinter Motivation

Stellar magnetic fields, and their tracers, are fundamentally variable on timescales ranging from minutes to decades to Gyr. Time domain data allows us to study stellar rotation, star spot lifetimes and configurations, stochastic eruptions like flares and CMEs, and shifts in stellar dynamos. The Kepler/K2 missions represented a giant step forward in studies of flares and starspot signatures. Using the exquisite light curves from these missions, we can trace these phenomena on large numbers of cool stars, detailing the changes in magnetic activity with mass, rotation, and age.

We now look forward to an era of even larger time-domain surveys. TESS, Gaia, and new ground-based surveys will provide coverage of nearly the entire sky, facilitating unprecedented studies of nearby stars. LSST will yield long-baseline, multi-wavelength coverage. Our session aims to highlight both ongoing time-domain work and to discuss possibilities for studying magnetic activity using upcoming surveys.