Magneto-Rotational Transport in the Early Sun

Abstract

Angular momentum transport must have occurred in the Sun's radiative zone to explain its current solid body rotation. We survey the stability of the early Sun's radiative zone with respect to diffusive rotational instabilities, for a variety of plausible past configurations. We find that the (faster rotating) early Sun was prone to rotational instabilities even if only weak levels of radial differential rotation were present, while the current Sun is not. Stability domains are determined by approximate balance between dynamical and diffusive timescales, allowing generalizations to other stellar contexts. Depending on the strength and geometry of the weak magnetic field present, the fastest growing unstable mode can be hydrodynamic or magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) in nature. Our results suggest that diffusive MHD modes may be more efficient at transporting angular momentum than their hydrodynamic (``Goldreich-Schubert-Fricke'') counterparts because the minimum spatial scale required for magnetic tension to be destabilizing limits the otherwise very small scales favored by double-diffusive instabilities. Diffusive magneto-rotational instabilities are thus attractive candidates for angular momentum transport in the early Sun's radiative zone.