Evolution of Stellar Rotation in Open Clusters

Abstract

Understanding stellar rotation and the role of magnetic braking remains a major outstanding problem in astrophysics. In this paper, stellar rotation of the young open cluster Blanco 1 is investigated and compared with other clusters with ages ranging from ∼35 Myr to ∼950 Myr and star masses in the range 0.2 < M⊙ < 1.4. It is proposed that rotation rates of stars in young open clusters are determined by the early angular momentum acquired during formation and not by magnetic braking effects, which operate on longer time scales. On the convective C Sequence, for lighter stars, the early angular velocity is related directly to the moment of inertia. However, for the interface or I Sequence, differential rotation exists and observed rotation rates are essentially the rotation rates of the outer convection zone. It is estimated that the convection zone can rotate at over 10× the rate of the inner radiative zone for heavier stars. This differential rotation process can drive saturated interface dynamos that lead to large rotational mass dependences which can be described by a simple energy transfer model. Comparing with clusters of different ages magnetic braking outlines the evolution of older clusters from young clusters. For old clusters such as Praesepe the majority of stars have experienced spin down, that can be described by a simple model based on an additional momentum loss proportional to the angular momentum of the early cluster, which for the I Sequence is consistent with the well known Skumanich relation.