Rotation periods and ages of solar analogs and solar twins revealed by the Kepler Mission

TL;DR

This study uses Kepler light curves to determine rotation periods and ages of solar analogs and twins, identifying 34 solar analogs and 22 solar twin candidates, and comparing gyrochronology with asteroseismic ages.

Contribution

It provides a new sample of solar analogs and twins with derived ages and rotation periods, improving identification methods using Kepler data and gyrochronology.

Findings

Rotation periods range from 6 to 30 days, averaging 19 days.

A strong correlation (r=0.79) between gyrochronology and asteroseismic ages.

Identified 34 solar analogs and 22 solar twin candidates.

Abstract

A new sample of solar analogs and twin candidates have been constructed and studied, with particular attention to their light curves from NASA's Kepler mission. This letter aims to assess the evolutionary status, derive their rotation and ages and identify those solar analogs or solar twin candidates. We separate out the subgiants that compose a large fraction of the asteroseismic sample, and which show an increase in the average rotation period as the stars ascend the subgiant branch. The rotation periods of the dwarfs, ranging from 6 to 30 days, and averaged 19d, allow us to assess their individual evolutionary states on the main sequence, and to derive their ages using gyrochronology. These ages are found to be in agreement with a correlation coefficient of r = 0.79 with the independent asteroseismic ages, where available. As a result of this investigation, we are able to identify 34 stars as solar analogs and 22 of them as solar twin candidates.