Optical and UV observations of a strong flare in the young , single K 2 - dwarf LQ Hya ⋆

We present high resolution optical echelle spectra and IUE observations during a strong flare on 1993 December 22 in the very active, young, rapidly rotating, single K2 dwarf LQ Hya. The initial impulsive phase of the flare, which started sometime between 2:42 UT and 4:07 UT, was characterized by strong optical continuum enhancement and blue-shifted emission lines with broad wings. The optical chromospheric lines reached their maximum intensity at ≈5:31 UT, by which time the blue-shift vanished and the optical continuum enhancement had sharply decreased. Thereafter, the line emission slowly decreased and the lines red-shift in a gradual phase that lasted at least two more hours. The Mg ii lines behaved similarly. Quiescent C iv flux levels were not recovered until 21 hours later, though a data gap and a possible second flare make the interpretation uncertain. In addition to the typically flare-enhanced emission lines (e.g., Hα and Hβ), we observe He i D 3 going into emission, plus excess emission (after subtraction of the quiescent spectrum) in other He i and several strong neutral metal lines (e.g., Mg i b). Flare enhancement of the far UV continuum generally agrees with a Si i recombination model. We estimate the total flare energy, and discuss the broad components, asymmetries, and Doppler shifts seen in some of the emission lines.