Non-gaussian statistics and stellar rotational velocities of main sequence field stars

TL;DR

This study analyzes the rotational velocities of over 16,000 nearby main sequence stars, demonstrating that non-Gaussian statistics, specifically Tsallis and Kaniadakis distributions, best fit the observed data, revealing similarities between single and binary star rotations.

Contribution

First application of Tsallis and Kaniadakis statistics to stellar rotational velocities in a large star sample, providing new insights into the distribution functions governing stellar rotation.

Findings

Maxwellian distribution does not fit the data.

Tsallis and Kaniadakis statistics provide excellent fits.

Single and binary stars have similar rotational distributions.

Abstract

In this letter we study the observed distributions of rotational velocity in a sample of more than 16,000 nearby F and G dwarf stars, magnitude complete and presenting high precision $Vsin i$ measurements. We show that the velocity distributions cannot be fitted by a maxwellian. On the other hand, an analysis based on both Tsallis and Kaniadakis power-law statistics is by far the most appropriate statistics and give a very good fit. It is also shown that single and binary stars have similar rotational distributions. This is the first time, to our knowledge, that these two new statistics are tested for the rotation of such a large sample of stars, pointing solidly to a solution of the puzzling problem on the function governing the distribution of stellar rotational velocity