Spin-down of solar-mass protostars in magnetospheric accretion paradigm

Abstract

Stellar spin is one of the fundamental quantities that characterize a star itself and its planetary system. Nevertheless, stellar spin-down mechanisms in protostellar and pre-main-sequence stellar phases have been a long-standing problem in the star formation theory. To realize the spin-down, previous axisymmetric models based on the conventional magnetospheric paradigm have to assume massive stellar winds or produce highly time-variable magnetospheric ejections. However, this picture has been challenged by both numerical simulations and observations. With a particular focus on the propeller regime for solar-mass stars, we propose a new picture of stellar spin-down based on our recent three-dimensional (3D) magnetohydrodynamic simulation and stellar evolution calculation. We show that failed magnetospheric winds, unique to 3D models, significantly reduce the spin-up accretion torque, which make it easier for the star to spin-down. Additionally, the amplitude of time variability associated with magnetospheric ejections is reduced by 3D effects. Our simulation demonstrates that the star spins down by generating a conical disk wind, driven by a rotating stellar magnetosphere. Our theoretical estimates, inspired by the numerical model, suggest that the conical disk wind is likely to play a crucial role in extracting stellar angular momentum during the protostellar phase. As magnetospheric accretion is expected to occur in other accreting objects such as proto-giant planets, this study will also contribute to the understanding of the angular momentum of such objects.