The rotation periods of cool stars: Measurements, uses, connections and prospects
23rd - 26th September 2019
Talk
The evolution of rotation and magnetism in low mass M dwarfs
Elisabeth Newton, Dartmouth College
The ages of M dwarfs in the field of the galaxy are challenging to determine. Consequently, the evolution of rotation and magnetism at field ages is difficult to investigate observationally. We have measured rotation periods for approximately 500 nearby M dwarfs, which we combine with H-alpha measurements from our work and from the literature. We investigate the relationship between rotation, magnetic activity, and stellar mass for M dwarfs, with an emphasis on fully convective stars. We connect the evolution of M dwarfs as traced through clusters to what we observe in the field.