Detecting faint echoes in stellar-flare light curves

Observational considerations are discussed for detecting echoes from flare-star photospheres and from stellar or planetary companions. Synthetic spectra are used to determine optimal conditions for the recovery of echoes in flare light curves. The most detectable echoes are expected to appear in broadband observations of the UV continuum. Short-lived flares are ideal for resolving echoes from the flare-star photosphere and may provide constraints for stellar-flare models. Strong outbursts may be used to detect stellar or planetary companions of a flare star. However, the possible planetary configurations that may be probed by this method are limited to Jupiter-size objects in tight orbits about the parent star.