Exploring the stellar rotation of early-type stars in the LAMOST medium-resolution survey

Abstract

Context. Stellar rotation significantly shapes the evolution of massive stars, yet the interplay of mass and metallicity remains elusive, limiting our capacity to construct accurate stellar evolution models and to better estimate the impact of rotation on the chemical evolution of galaxies. Aims. Our goal is to investigate how mass and metallicity influence the rotational evolution of A-type stars on the main sequence (MS). We seek to identify deviations in rotational behaviors that could serve as new constraints for existing stellar models. Methods. Using the LAMOST Median-Resolution Survey Data Release 9, we derived stellar parameters for a population of 104 752 A-type stars. Our study focused on the evolution of surface rotational velocities and their dependence on mass and metallicity in 84 683 “normal” stars. Results. Normalizing surface rotational velocities to zero age main sequence (ZAMS) values revealed a prevailing evolutionary profile from 1.7 to 4.0 M⊙. This profile features an initial rapid acceleration until t/tMS = 0.25 ± 0.1 and potentially a second acceleration peak near t/tMS = 0.55 ± 0.1 for stars heavier than 2.5 M⊙, followed by a steady decline and a “hook” feature at the end. Surpassing theoretical expectations, the initial acceleration likely stems from a concentrated distribution of angular momentum at the ZAMS, resulting in a prolonged increase in speed. A transition phase for stars with 2.0 < M/M⊙ < 2.3 emerged, a region where evolutionary tracks remain uncertain. Stellar expansion primarily drives the spin down in the latter half of the MS, accompanied by significant influence from inverse meridional circulation. The inverse circulation becomes more efficient at lower metallicities, explaining the correlation of the slope of this deceleration phase with metallicity from –0.3 dex up to 0.1 dex. The metal-poor subsample (−0.3 dex < [M/H]<  − 0.1 dex) starts with lower velocities at the ZAMS, suggesting that there is a metallicity-dependent mechanism that removes angular momentum during star formation. The proportion of fast rotators decreases with an increase in metallicity, up to log(Z/Z⊙)∼ − 0.2, a trend consistent with observations of OB-type stars found in the Small and Large Magellanic Clouds.