What question did this study set out to answer?

To measure the rotation periods of low-mass stars in the Orion Nebula Cluster using an unbiased sample and evaluate mechanisms driving early rotational evolution.

January 1, 1996The Astronomical Journal

Rotation Periods of Stars in the Orion Nebula Cluster: The Bimodal Distribution

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To measure the rotation periods of low-mass stars in the Orion Nebula Cluster using an unbiased sample and evaluate mechanisms driving early rotational evolution.
Conducted CCD photometric monitoring on 525 stars brighter than I ~ 16 mag in the Orion Nebula Cluster during the 1992–1993 season at Van Vleck Observatory, compiling four years of data.
Selected target candidates using only proper motion and position to eliminate selection bias, identifying rotation periods through light variations induced by cool and hot starspots.
Identified 50 periodic variables (27 newly discovered), expanding the cluster sample to 75 periods, with 23 of 25 multi-year monitored stars agreeing to better than 1%.
Demonstrated a bimodal period distribution: roughly one-third are rapid rotators (median period 2.55 days, dispersion 0.7 days) and two-thirds are slow rotators (median period 8.3 days, dispersion 3.8 days, extending up to 34.5 days).
Observed a higher fraction of slow rotators in younger, more nebulous fields, supporting magnetic disk-locking models where stars conserve angular velocity rather than angular momentum during disk interaction.

Authors

PCP. I. ChoiPomona College WHW. HerbstWesleyan University

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Implication

Photometric monitoring reveals a bimodal distribution of rotation periods in Orion Nebula Cluster stars, supporting theories of disk-regulated angular momentum evolution.

Cite This Study

Choi et al. (1996) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a987aa6381c17dc98d99b36 https://doi.org/10.1086/117780

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Implication

Photometric monitoring reveals a bimodal distribution of rotation periods in Orion Nebula Cluster stars, supporting theories of disk-regulated angular momentum evolution.

Rotation Periods of Stars in the Orion Nebula Cluster: The Bimodal Distribution

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Discussion

Implication

Cite This Study

Rotation Periods of Stars in the Orion Nebula Cluster: The Bimodal Distribution

Key Points

Discussion

Implication

Cite This Study