# Linking circumstellar disk lifetimes to the rotational evolution of low-mass stars

**Authors:** Kristina Monsch, Jeremy J. Drake, Cecilia Garraffo, Giovanni Picogna, Barbara Ercolano  
**arXiv:** [2311.05673](https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.05673)  
**Date:** 2023-11-09  
**Summary page:** https://www.summarizepaper.com/en/arxiv-id/2311.05673v1/

## Key points

- Authors investigate the impact of high-energy radiation on rotational evolution of low-mass stars
- Internal photoevaporation is a major driver of circumstellar disk dispersal
- Authors use internal EUV/X-ray photoevaporation model to calculate realistic inner disk lifetimes
- Magnetic morphology-driven rotational evolution model is integrated with photoevaporation model
- Disk-locking phase significantly affects subsequent rotational evolution of young stars
- Model outcomes show improved agreement with observed rotation period distributions for open clusters with varying ages
- Model fails to reproduce bimodality in rotation periods observed in hPer (Perseus star-forming region)
- To recover bimodality, an additional disk dispersal process like external photoevaporation is required
- Realistic disk dispersal mechanisms are important for rotational evolution models of young stars
- Research provides insights into how high-energy radiation and internal photoevaporation shape stellar rotation at early and later stages
- Contributes to understanding star formation processes and refining models for studying young stellar populations in various astrophysical contexts

## Summary

In their study titled "Linking circumstellar disk lifetimes to the rotational evolution of low-mass stars," authors Kristina Monsch, Jeremy J. Drake, Cecilia Garraffo, Giovanni Picogna, and Barbara Ercolano investigate the impact of high-energy radiation emitted by young stars on their rotational evolution. They focus on internal photoevaporation as a major driver of the dispersal of circumstellar disks that surround newly born low-mass stars during the initial few million years of their evolution. To calculate realistic inner disk lifetimes of protoplanetary disks, the authors employ an internal EUV/X-ray photoevaporation model. They then integrate this prescription into a magnetic morphology-driven rotational evolution model to explore the influence of disk-locking on the spin evolution of low-mass stars. The findings reveal that the duration of the disk-locking phase significantly affects the subsequent rotational evolution of young stars. By incorporating realistic disk lifetimes into their model, they achieve improved agreement between model outcomes and observed rotation period distributions for open clusters with varying ages. However, they note that their model fails to reproduce the strong bimodality in rotation periods observed in hPer (the Perseus star-forming region). To successfully recover this bimodality, it is necessary to initiate the model from a double-peaked distribution with an initial disk fraction of 65%. This requires invoking an additional disk dispersal process like external photoevaporation. These results emphasize the importance of incorporating realistic disk dispersal mechanisms into rotational evolution models for young stars. The study provides valuable insights into how high-energy radiation and internal photoevaporation shape both early and later stages of stellar rotation. This research contributes to our understanding of star formation processes and helps refine models used to study young stellar populations in various astrophysical contexts. The paper has been accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal.