Paper detail

Do Si stars undergo any magnetic braking?

The old question of rotational braking of Ap Si stars is revisited on the empirical side, taking advantage of the recent Hipparcos results. Field stars with various evolutionary states are considered, and it is shown that the loose correlation between their rotational period and their surface gravity is entirely compatible with conservation of angular momentum. No evidence is found for any loss of angular momentum on the Main Sequence, which confirms earlier results based on less reliable estimates of surface gravity. The importance of reliable, fundamental Teff determinations of Bp and Ap stars is emphasized.