Assigned ID: 375 ----- Attempting Submission 1 (Fri Mar 07 16:27:12 GMT 2008) ----- We propose to use the archival database from the SWEEPS project (Sahu et al. 2006a) to quantify the incidence of stellar flaring among Galactic dwarfs. The long time series (continuous 7 days viewing) coupled with short individual exposures (~5 minutes in V and I) occupies a unique niche in the parameter space of optical transient studies. Time-series data are available for ~230,000 stars down to V=29.5 (mass of ~0.25 Msun); the resultant mass function shows that there are more than 100,000 M stars which can be used to look for flares. Due to their dependence on the presence and dynamics of interacting magnetic fields, stellar flares are a diagnostic of transient magnetic activity, in addition to more commonly used persistent indicators, and thus provide a complementary diagnostic of the presence and action of large-scale magnetic fields. Recent results from deep optical fast transient searches indicate the prevalence of stellar flaring and bolster support for a better quantification of the stellar flare rate. The stellar flare rate is also an important input to astrobiological studies on the effects of stellar flares on exoplanets in M dwarf planet-hosting systems. We will use this data to determine the stellar flare rate as a function of mass, temperature, and apparent magnitude in stars of intermediate-old age and compare to the decline of magnetic activity seen in younger stellar populations.

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