Rotation periods for cool stars in the 4 Gyr-old open cluster M67, the solar-stellar connection, and the applicability of gyrochronology to at least solar age

TL;DR

This study measures rotation periods of stars in the 4 Gyr-old cluster M67 using Kepler data, confirming the applicability of gyrochronology for age-dating stars up to solar age with about 17% precision.

Contribution

It provides the first rotation period measurements for M67 stars, validating gyrochronology as a reliable method for determining stellar ages up to the solar age.

Findings

The Sun's rotation is typical compared to M67 stars.

Rotation periods align with predicted models extending to solar age.

Gyrochronology yields stellar ages with approximately 17% accuracy.

Abstract

We report rotation periods for 20 cool (FGK) main sequence member stars of the 4 Gyr-old open cluster M 67 (= NGC 2682), obtained by analysing data from Campaign 5 of the K2 mission with the Kepler Space Telescope. The rotation periods delineate a sequence in the color-period diagram (CPD) of increasing period with redder color. This sequence represents a cross-section at the cluster age of the surface P = P (t, M), suggested in prior work to extend to at least solar age. The current Sun is located marginally (approx. one sigma) above M 67 in the CPD, as its relative age leads us to expect, and lies on the P = P (t, M) surface to within measurement precision. We therefore conclude that the solar rotation rate is normal, as compared with cluster stars, a fact which strengthens the solar-stellar connection. The agreement between the M\,67 rotation period measurements and prior predictions further implies that rotation periods, especially when coupled with appropriate supporting work such as spectroscopy, can provide reliable ages via gyrochronology for other similar FGK dwarfs from the early main sequence to solar age and likely till the main sequence turnoff. The M 67 rotators have a rotational age of 4.2 Gyr, with a standard deviation of 0.7 Gyr, implying that similar field stars can be age-dated to precisions of ~17%. The rotational age of the M 67 cluster as a whole is therefore 4.2 Gyr, but with a lower (averaged) uncertainty of 0.2 Gyr.