Stellar dynamics: rotation, convection, and magnetic fields

TL;DR

This paper reviews how stellar dynamics, including convection, rotation, and magnetic fields, influence stellar oscillations and activity, emphasizing seismic observations' role in understanding internal stellar processes across different star types.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of how seismic data can be used to study stellar internal dynamics, especially rotation and magnetic activity, across various evolutionary stages.

Findings

Seismic observations reveal properties of convective time scales.

Internal differential rotation can be inferred from seismic data.

Surface rotation rates are obtained from light curve modulation.

Abstract

Stars are changing entities in a constant evolution during their lives. At non-secular time scales (from seconds to years) the effect of dynamical processes such as convection, rotation, and magnetic fields can modify the stellar oscillations. Convection excites acoustic modes in solar-like stars, while rotation and magnetic fields can perturb the oscillation frequencies lifting the degeneracy in the azimuthal component m of the eigenfrequencies. Moreover, the interaction between rotation, convection, and magnetic fields can produce magnetic dynamos, which sometimes yield to regular magnetic activity cycles. In this chapter we review how stellar dynamics can be studied and explain what long-term seismic observations can bring to the understanding of this field. Thus, we show how we can study some properties of the convective time scales operating in a star like the Sun. We also compare the stratified information we can obtain on the internal (radial) differential rotation from main sequence solar-like stars, to the Sun, and to more evolved sub giants, and giants. We complement this information on the internal rotation with the determination of the surface (latitudinal differential) rotation obtained directly from the light curves. Indeed, when stars are active there can be spots on their surfaces dimming the light emitted. When the star rotates, the emitted light will be modulated by the presence of these spots with a period corresponding to the rotation rate at the active latitudes (where the spots develop). We conclude this chapter by discussing the seismology of fast rotating stars and, from a theoretical point of view, what are the current challenges to infer properties of the internal structure and dynamics of intermediate- and high-mass stars.