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arXiv · 2611.08267

The slower rotation of planet-hosting stars revisited

Avraham Binnenfeld·Amitay Sussholz·Simchon Faigler·Tsevi Mazeh
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Abstract

Previous studies combined rotation periods derived from Kepler photometry, stellar parameters from previous Gaia Data Releases, and planet hosts from the NASA Exoplanet Archive to conclude that statistically planet-hosting stars rotate slower than stars without detected planets. Here, we revisit these studies by using similar Kepler rotational period sample, but with an updated Gaia DR3-based stellar parameter catalogue and an updated exoplanet catalogue. We apply minimal sample cuts in evolutionary state, metallicity, and distance, and then model the stellar rotation period as a function of effective temperature alone. For each star, we derive the ratio of its observed period to the temperature-expected period, and compare the ratio distributions for the planet-host and non-host stars. For periods shorter than 20 d, the planet-host distribution of this ratio is shifted towards longer periods; the period-ratio median is ~15% larger for hosts than for non-hosts (p_KS = 2.4 x 10^-4). We also examine the recently published TESS All-Sky Rotation Survey (TARS) and find a similar trend. However, the strongly structured period distribution precludes a robust comparison between the host and the non-host stars. Therefore, the updated analysis, using more robust stellar and planetary parameters, recovers the previously reported association, strengthening the case for a genuine connection between stellar rotation and planet occurrence.

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Avraham Binnenfeld, Amitay Sussholz, Simchon Faigler, Tsevi Mazeh. 2026-11-05. The slower rotation of planet-hosting stars revisited. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras%2Fstag2119

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