Astrophysicists measure precise rotation pattern of sun-like stars for the first time

Until now, little was known about the precise rotational patterns of Sun-like stars, only that the equator spins faster than at higher latitudes, similar to the Sun.

But a team of scientists including Katepalli Sreenivasan, Member in the School of Mathematics, has reported in Science an unexpected difference between the Sun and Sun-like stars: while the Sun rotates about 10 percent faster at its equator than at its mid latitudes, the equators of Sun-like stars—characterized as being like the Sun in mass and age—spin up to two and a half times faster than their mid latitudes.

As Sreenivasan explains, "Understanding differential rotation—how fast one part of a star spins compared to the rest—is not only important for a complete understanding of how a star works, it will help us gain deeper insights about their magnetic fields."

Read more at NYU Abu Dhabi.