The differential rotation of stars
L.L. Kichatinov
Institut solnechno-zemnoi fiziki, Rossiiskaya akademiya nauk, Sibirskoe otdelenie, Irkutsk, Russian Federation
Astronomical observations of recent years have substantially extended our knowledge of the rotation of stars. Helioseismology has found out that the equator-to-pole decline
in the angular velocity observed on the solar surface traces down
to the deep interior of the Sun. New information has been gained
regarding the dependence of the rotational nonuniformities on
the angular velocity and mass of the star. These achievements
have prompted the development of the theory of differential
rotation, which is the focal point of this review. Nonuniform
rotation results from the interaction of turbulent convection
with rotation. The investigation into the turbulent mechanisms
of angular-momentum transport has reached a level at which the
obtained results can serve as the basis for developing quantitative models of stellar rotation. Such models contain virtually no free parameters but closely reproduce the helioseismological
data on the internal rotation of the Sun. The theoretical predictions on the differential rotation of the stars agree with observations. A brief discussion is held here on the relation between the
magnetic activity of stars and the nonuniformity of their rotation and on prospects for further development of the theory.
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