Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics
Scientific paper
2006-04-25
Astron.J.132:749-755,2006
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
19 pages, two tables, 2 figures
Scientific paper
10.1086/505534
We present the results of a study aimed at assessing whether low and high mass stars form similarly. Our approach is (1) to examine the observed projected rotational velocities among a large sample of newly-formed stars spanning a range in mass between 0.2 and 50 M ; and (2) to search for evidence of a discontinuity in rotational properties that might indicate a difference in the stellar formation process at some characteristic mass. Our database includes both recently published values of v sin i for young intermediate- and low- mass stars in Orion, as well as new observations of O stars located in young clusters and OB associations. We find that the median of the quantity v_obs/v_c (observed rotational speed/equatorial breakup velocity) is typically about 0.15 and shows no evidence of a discontinuity over the full range of stellar masses, while the quantity Jsini/M (derived angular momentum per unit mass) exhibits a slow, monotonic rise with increasing mass with no evidence of a discontinuity. We suggest that these observations are most simply interpreted as indicative of a single stellar formation and angular momentum regulation mechanism: one that results in rotation rates well below breakup, and angular momenta per unit mass that differ systematically by no more than a factor of 3-4 over a mass range spanning a factor of 250.
Dror David
Lanz Ludovico
Strom Stephen E.
Venn Kim
Wolff Sidney C.
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