A statistical study of rotational velocities of the stars.

The overall statistics on rotational velocities of a sample of stars are presented based on data listed in the new catalog of stellar rotational velocities. The characteristic range of equatorial rotational velocities is examined using a simple model distribution function, and it is shown that the rotational velocities of the normal stars are distributed over a relatively narrow range. Thus, the intrinsically slow rotators with rotational velocities less than 100 km/s would be seldom found among normal main sequence stars, and early Be stars would share a fairly wide range of rotational velocities with normal B stars. The distribution of observed v sin i's for some specific objects is discussed, and the dependence of mean v sin i on MK spectral type is illustrated.