Rotation of Low-Mass Stars in Upper Scorpius and Rho Ophiuchus with K2

TL;DR

This study analyzes K2 light curves of young stars in Upper Scorpius and Rho Ophiuchus, revealing rotation patterns, disk interactions, and evolutionary spin behaviors across different stellar masses and ages.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed rotation and disk analysis for stars in USco and Rho Oph using K2 data, highlighting mass-dependent rotation trends and disk-locking evidence.

Findings

M stars in USco rotate faster than GK stars.

Disks are more common in slower rotating M stars.

Evidence of disk-locking in some M stars.

Abstract

We present an analysis of K2 light curves (LCs) for candidate members of the young Upper Sco (USco) association $\sim$8 Myr) and the neighboring Rho Oph embedded cluster ($\sim$1 Myr). We establish $\sim$1300 stars as probable members, $\sim$80\% of which are periodic. The phased LCs have a variety of shapes which can be attributed to physical causes ranging from stellar pulsation and stellar rotation to disk-related phenomena. We identify and discuss a number of observed behaviors. The periods are $\sim$0.2-30 days with a peak near 2 days and the rapid period end nearing break-up velocity. M stars in the young USco region rotate systematically faster than GK stars, a pattern also present in K2 data for the older Pleiades and Praesepe systems. At higher masses (types FGK), the well-defined period-color relationship for slowly rotating stars seen in the Pleiades and Praesepe is not yet present in USco. Circumstellar disks are present predominantly among the more slowly rotating Ms in USco, with few disks in the sub-day rotators. However, M dwarfs with disks rotate faster on average than FGK systems with disks. For four of these disked Ms, we provide direct evidence for disk-locking based on the K2 LC morphologies. Our preliminary analysis shows a relatively mass-independent spin-up by a factor of $\sim$3.5 between USco and the Pleiades, then mass-dependent spin-down between Pleiades and Praesepe.