The Ca II infrared triplet's performance as an activity indicator compared to Ca II H and K Empirical relations to convert Ca II infrared triplet measurements to common activity indices

Aims. A large number of Calcium infrared triplet (IRT) spectra are expected from the Gaia and CARMENES missions. Conversion of these spectra into known activity indicators will allow analysis of their temporal evolution to a better degree. We set out to find such a conversion formula and to determine its robustness. Methods. We have compared 2274 Ca II IRT spectra of active main-sequence F to K stars taken by the TIGRE telescope with those of inactive stars of the same spectral type. After normalizing and applying rotational broadening, we subtracted the comparison spectra to find the chromospheric excess flux caused by activity. We obtained the total excess flux, and compared it to established activity indices derived from the Ca II H and K lines, the spectra of which were obtained simultaneously to the infrared spectra. Results. The excess flux in the Ca II IRT is found to correlate well with R-HK' and R-HK(+), as well as S-MWO, if the B - V-dependency is taken into account. We find an empirical conversion formula to calculate the corresponding value of one activity indicator from the measurement of another, by comparing groups of datapoints of stars with similar B - V.