On the Differential Rotation of Massive Main Sequence Stars

Understand

To date, asteroseismology has provided core to surface differential rotation measurements in eight main-sequence stars.

• These stars, ranging in mass from $\sim$1.5-9$M_\odot$, show rotation profiles ranging from uniform to counter-rotation.
• Although they have a variety of masses, these stars all have convective cores and overlying radiative regions, conducive to angular momentum transport by internal gravity waves (IGW).
• Using two-dimensional (2D) numerical simulations we show that angular momentum transport by IGW can explain all of these rotation profiles.