RE 1816+541: a northern hemisphere analogue to the low-mass rapid rotator HK Aqr.
Abstract
Spectroscopic observations of the optical counterpart to the ROSAT Wide Field Camera source RE 1816+541 are presented. We find that the counterpart is a chromospherically active, rapidly rotating, dM1 -2e star with a V sin i of 61 km 1 No evidence for radial velocity variations is found, and we conclude that RE 1816+ 541 is an example of the rare class of single, rapidly rotating field stars, and that it is similar to the southern hemisphere object HK Aqr. Assuming a main- sequence radius, a rotation period of 12 sin i hours is predicted. In common with several other active, rapid rotators, RE 1816+541 has a radial velocity consistent with membership of the Local Association, a comoving group of young B stars and open clusters such as the Pleiades. On the basis of this and its rapid rotation, we suspect a similar youthful evolutionary status for RE 1816+541, making it a good candidate for studying angular momentum loss and extreme magnetic activity in young, low-mass stars. Key words: stars: activity - stars: chromospheres - stars: individual: RE 1816+541 - stars: magnetic fields - stars: rotation.
- Publication:
-
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
- Pub Date:
- November 1994
- DOI:
- 10.1093/mnras/271.2.476
- Bibcode:
- 1994MNRAS.271..476J
- Keywords:
-
- Rotating Stars: Spectra;
- Rotating Stars: Stellar Chromospheres;
- Rotating Stars: X-Ray Sources;
- Rotating Stars: Stellar Activity