Magnetic braking of T Tauri stars

Abstract

We construct models for the rotation rates of T Tauri stars whose spin is regulated by magnetic linkage between the star and a surrounding accretion disc. Our models utilise a time-dependent disc code to follow the accretion process and include the effects of pre-main-sequence stellar evolution. We find that the initial disc mass controls the evolution of the star-disc system. For sufficiently massive discs, a stellar field of $\sim$ 1 kG is able to regulate the spin rate to the observed values during the classical T Tauri phase. The field then acts to expel the disc and the star spins up at constant angular momentum as a weak-line system. Lower mass discs are ejected at an early epoch and fail to brake the star significantly. We extend the model to close binary systems, and find that the removal of angular momentum from the disc by the secondary significantly prolongs the inner disc lifetime. Such systems should therefore be relatively slow rotators. We also discuss the implications of our model for the spectral energy distributions and variability of T Tauri stars.