The Kepler target KICÂ 5110407 , a K-type star , shows strong quasi-periodic light curve fluctuations likely arising from the formation and decay of spots on the stellar surface rotating with a period of 3.4693 days .
Using an established light-curve inversion algorithm , we study the evolution of the surface features based on Kepler space telescope light curves over a period of two years ( with a gap of .25 years ) .
At virtually all epochs , we detect at least one large spot group on the surface causing a 1–10 % flux modulation in the Kepler passband .
By identifying and tracking spot groups over a range of inferred latitudes , we measured the surface differential rotation to be much smaller than that found for the Sun .
We also searched for a correlation between the seventeen stellar flares that occurred during our observations and the orientation of the dominant surface spot at the time of each flare .
No statistically-significant correlation was found except perhaps for the very brightest flares , suggesting most flares are associated with regions devoid of spots or spots too small to be clearly discerned using our reconstruction technique .
While we may see hints of long-term changes in the spot characteristics and flare statistics within our current dataset , a longer baseline of observation will be needed to detect the existence of a magnetic cycle in KICÂ 5110407 .