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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 23 September 2016
Four flares were observed on the late-type binary YY Gem in March 1988 during a total monitoring time of 408 min. The flares were unusual in that there is a periodicity in their occurrence, being separated by 48 ± 3 min. Considering the flares to be formed as a stochastic process, we find that the probability of these events occurring by chance is 0.5%. Modelling indicates that for quite reasonable input parameters (e.g. a spot field strength of 1000 G and a filament with mass per unit length of 106g cm-1), the flare periodicity can be explained in terms of filament oscillations. The only requirement is that there should be a filament at these heights where the magnetic field drops inversely proportional to the height.