MESA models with magnetic braking

TL;DR

This paper implements and calibrates two magnetic braking models within MESA to better understand stellar spin-down, comparing their predictions with observational data from open clusters to evaluate their accuracy and limitations.

Contribution

The study introduces and calibrates two magnetic braking models in MESA, assessing their ability to reproduce observed stellar rotation data and identifying areas for improvement.

Findings

Both models can fit the data with distinctions.

Garraffo et al. (2018) reproduces bimodal rotation but overestimates angular momentum loss.

Matt et al. (2015) matches slow rotators but overpredicts rapid rotators.

Abstract

Two magnetic braking models are implemented in MESA for use in the MIST stellar model grids. Stars less than about 1.3 $M_{\odot}$ are observed to spin down over time through interaction with their magnetized stellar winds (i.e., magnetic braking). This is the basis for gyrochronology, and fundamental to the evolution of lower mass stars. The detailed physics behind magnetic braking are uncertain, as are 1D stellar evolution models. Thus, we calibrate our models and compare to data from open clusters. Each braking model tested here is capable of reproducing the data, albeit with some important distinctions. The Matt et al. (2015) prescription matches the slowly rotating stars observed in open clusters, but tends to overestimate the presence of rapidly rotating stars. The Garraffo et al. (2018) prescription often produces too much angular momentum loss to accurately match the observed slow sequence for lower mass stars, but reproduces the bimodal nature of slow and rapidly rotating stars observed in open clusters fairly well. We find additional evidence that some level of mass dependency may be missing in these braking models to match the rotation periods observed in clusters older than 1 Gyr better.