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Jennifer L. van Saders

Publications and source records attributed to Jennifer L. van Saders.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Asteroseismology and Spectropolarimetry of the Exoplanet Host Star $λ$ Serpentis

The bright star $λ$ Ser hosts a hot Neptune with a minimum mass of 13.6 $M_\oplus$ and a 15.5 day orbit. It also appears to be a solar analog, with a mean rotation period of 25.8 days and surface differential rotation very similar to the Sun. We aim to characterize the fundamental properties of this system, and to constrain the evolutionary pathway that led to its present configuration. We detect solar-like oscillations in time series photometry from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), and we derive precise asteroseismic properties from detailed modeling. We obtain new spectropolarimetric data, and we use them to reconstruct the large-scale magnetic field morphology. We reanalyze the complete time series of chromospheric activity measurements from the Mount Wilson Observatory, and we present new X-ray and ultraviolet observations from the Chandra and Hubble space telescopes. Finally, we use the updated observational constraints to assess the rotational history of the star and to estimate the wind braking torque. We conclude that the remaining uncertainty on stellar age currently prevents an unambiguous interpretation of the properties of $λ$ Ser, and that the rate of angular momentum loss appears to be higher than for other stars with similar Rossby number. Future asteroseismic observations may help to improve the precision of the stellar age.

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Core-envelope decoupling drives radial shear dynamos in cool stars

Differential rotation is thought to be responsible for the dynamo process in stars like our Sun, driving magnetic activity and star spots. We report that star spot measurements in the Praesepe open cluster are strongly enhanced only for stars which depart from standard models of rotational evolution. A decoupling of the spin down history between the core and envelope explains both the activity and rotation anomalies: surface rotational evolution is stalled by interior angular momentum redistribution, and the resultant radial shears enhance star spot activity. These anomalies provide evidence for an evolving front of shear-enhanced activity affecting the magnetic and rotational evolution of cool stars and the high-energy environments of their planetary companions for hundreds of millions to billions of years on the main sequence.

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Constraints on Magnetic Braking from the G8 Dwarf Stars 61 UMa and $τ$ Cet

During the first half of their main-sequence lifetimes, stars rapidly lose angular momentum to their magnetized winds, a process known as magnetic braking. Recent observations suggest a substantial decrease in the magnetic braking efficiency when stars reach a critical value of the Rossby number, the stellar rotation period normalized by the convective overturn timescale. Cooler stars have deeper convection zones with longer overturn times, reaching this critical Rossby number at slower rotation rates. The nature and timing of the transition to weakened magnetic braking has previously been constrained by several solar analogs and two slightly hotter stars. In this Letter, we derive the first direct constraints from stars cooler than the Sun. We present new spectropolarimetry of the old G8 dwarf $τ$ Cet from the Large Binocular Telescope, and we reanalyze a published Zeeman Doppler image of the younger G8 star 61 UMa, yielding the large-scale magnetic field strengths and morphologies. We estimate mass-loss rates using archival X-ray observations and inferences from Ly$α$ measurements, and we adopt other stellar properties from asteroseismology and spectral energy distribution fitting. The resulting calculations of the wind braking torque demonstrate that the rate of angular momentum loss drops by a factor of 300 between the ages of these two stars (1.4-9 Gyr), well above theoretical expectations. We summarize the available data to help constrain the value of the critical Rossby number, and we identify a new signature of the long-period detection edge in recent measurements from the Kepler mission.

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Is [Y/Mg] a Reliable Age Diagnostic for FGK Stars?

Current spectroscopic surveys are producing large catalogs of chemical abundances for stars of all types. The yttrium to magnesium ratio, [Y/Mg], has emerged as a candidate age indicator for solar twins in the local stellar neighborhood. However, it is unclear whether it is a viable age diagnostic for more diverse stellar types, so we investigate [Y/Mg] as an age indicator for the FGK-type planet host stars observed by $Kepler$. We find that the [Y/Mg] "Clock" is most precise for solar twins, with a [Y/Mg]/Age slope of $m$ = $-$0.0370 $\pm$ 0.0071 dex/Gyr and $σ_{\mathrm{Age}}$ = 2.6 Gyr. We attribute the lower precision compared to literature results to non-solar twins contaminating our solar twin sample and recommend a 1.5 Gyr systematic uncertainty for stellar ages derived with any [Y/Mg]-Age relation. We also analyzed the [Y/Mg] Clock as a function of $T_{\mathrm{eff}}$, $\log g$, and metallicity individually and find no strong trends, but compute statistically significant [Y/Mg]-Age relations for subsamples defined by ranges in $T_{\mathrm{eff}}$, $\log g$, and metallicity. Finally, we compare [Y/Mg] and rotation ages and find statistically similar trends as for isochrone ages, although we find that rotation ages perform better for GK dwarfs while isochrones perform better for FG subgiants. We conclude that the [Y/Mg] Clock is most precise for solar twins and analogs but is also a useful age diagnostic for FGK stars.

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The Origin of Weakened Magnetic Braking in Old Solar Analogs

The rotation rates of main-sequence stars slow over time as they gradually lose angular momentum to their magnetized stellar winds. The rate of angular momentum loss depends on the strength and morphology of the magnetic field, the mass-loss rate, and the stellar rotation period, mass, and radius. Previous observations suggested a shift in magnetic morphology between two F-type stars with similar rotation rates but very different ages (88 Leo and rho CrB). In this Letter, we identify a comparable transition in an evolutionary sequence of solar analogs with ages between 2-7 Gyr. We present new spectropolarimetry of 18 Sco and 16 Cyg A & B from the Large Binocular Telescope, and we reanalyze previously published Zeeman Doppler images of HD 76151 and 18 Sco, providing additional constraints on the nature and timing of this transition. We combine archival X-ray observations with updated distances from Gaia to estimate mass-loss rates, and we adopt precise stellar properties from asteroseismology and other sources. We then calculate the wind braking torque for each star in the evolutionary sequence, demonstrating that the rate of angular momentum loss drops by more than an order of magnitude between the ages of HD 76151 and 18 Sco (2.6-3.7 Gyr) and continues to decrease modestly to the age of 16 Cyg A & B (7 Gyr). We suggest that this magnetic transition may represent a disruption of the global dynamo arising from weaker differential rotation, and we outline plans to probe this phenomenon in additional stars spanning a wide range of spectral types.

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Testing White Dwarf Age Estimates using Wide Double White Dwarf Binaries from Gaia EDR3

White dwarf (WD) stars evolve simply and predictably, making them reliable age indicators. However, self-consistent validation of the methods for determining WD total ages has yet to be widely performed. This work uses 1565 wide ( > 100 au) WD+WD binaries and 24 new triples containing at least two WDs to test the accuracy and validity of WD total age determinations. For these 1589 wide double-WD binaries and triples, we derive total ages of each WD using photometric data from all-sky surveys, in conjunction with Gaia parallaxes and current hydrogen-atmosphere WD models. Ignoring initial-to-final-mass relations and considering only WD cooling ages, we find that roughly 21-36% of the more massive WDs in a system have a shorter cooling age. Since more massive WDs should be born as more massive main-sequence stars, we attribute this unphysical disagreement as evidence of prior mergers or the presence of an unresolved companion, suggesting that roughly 21-36% of wide WD+WD binaries were once triples. Among the 423 wide WD+WD pairs that pass high-fidelity cuts, we find that 25% total age uncertainties are generally appropriate for WDs with masses > 0.63 Msun and temperatures < 12,000 K, and provide suggested inflation factors for age uncertainties for higher-mass WDs. Overall, WDs return reliable stellar ages, but we detail cases where total ages are least reliable, especially for WDs < 0.63 Msun.

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Further Evidence of Modified Spin-down in Sun-like Stars: Pileups in the Temperature-Period Distribution

We combine stellar surface rotation periods determined from NASA's Kepler mission with spectroscopic temperatures to demonstrate the existence of pileups at the long-period and short-period edges of the temperature-period distribution for main-sequence stars with temperatures exceeding $\sim 5500$K. The long-period pileup is well-described by a curve of constant Rossby number, with a critical value of $\mathrm{Ro_{crit}} \lesssim 2$. The long-period pileup was predicted by van Saders et al. (2019) as a consequence of weakened magnetic braking, in which wind-driven angular momentum losses cease once stars reach a critical Rossby number. Stars in the long-period pileup are found to have a wide range of ages ($\sim 2-6$Gyr), meaning that, along the pileup, rotation period is strongly predictive of a star's surface temperature but weakly predictive of its age. The short-period pileup, which is also well-described by a curve of constant Rossby number, is not a prediction of the weakened magnetic braking hypothesis but may instead be related to a phase of slowed surface spin-down due to core-envelope coupling. The same mechanism was proposed by Curtis et al. (2020) to explain the overlapping rotation sequences of low-mass members of differently aged open clusters. The relative dearth of stars with intermediate rotation periods between the short- and long-period pileups is also well-described by a curve of constant Rossby number, which aligns with the period gap initially discovered by McQuillan et al. (2013a) in M-type stars. These observations provide further support for the hypothesis that the period gap is due to stellar astrophysics, rather than a non-uniform star-formation history in the Kepler field.

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Rotation Distributions around the Kraft Break with TESS and Kepler: The Influences of Age, Metallicity, and Binarity

Stellar rotation is a complex function of mass, metallicity, and age and can be altered by binarity. To understand the importance of these parameters in main sequence stars, we have assembled a sample of observations that spans a range of these parameters using a combination of observations from The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) and the Kepler Space Telescope. We find that while we can measure rotation periods and identify other classes of stellar variability (e.g., pulsations) from TESS lightcurves, instrument systematics prevent the detection of rotation signals longer than the TESS orbital period of 13.7 days. Due to this detection limit, we also utilize rotation periods constrained using rotational velocities measured by the APOGEE spectroscopic survey and radii estimated using the Gaia mission for both TESS and Kepler stars. From these rotation periods, we 1) find we can track rotational evolution along discrete mass tracks as a function of stellar age, 2) find we are unable to recover trends between rotation and metallicity that were observed by previous studies, and 3) note that our sample reveals that wide binary companions do not affect rotation, while close binary companions cause stars to exhibit more rapid rotation than single stars.

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TESS Asteroseismology of $α$ Mensae: Benchmark Ages for a G7 Dwarf and its M-dwarf Companion

Asteroseismology of bright stars has become increasingly important as a method to determine fundamental properties (in particular ages) of stars. The Kepler Space Telescope initiated a revolution by detecting oscillations in more than 500 main-sequence and subgiant stars. However, most Kepler stars are faint, and therefore have limited constraints from independent methods such as long-baseline interferometry. Here, we present the discovery of solar-like oscillations in $α$ Men A, a naked-eye (V=5.1) G7 dwarf in TESS's Southern Continuous Viewing Zone. Using a combination of astrometry, spectroscopy, and asteroseismology, we precisely characterize the solar analog alpha Men A (Teff = 5569 +/- 62 K, R = 0.960 +/- 0.016 Rsun, M = 0.964 +/- 0.045 Msun). To characterize the fully convective M dwarf companion, we derive empirical relations to estimate mass, radius, and temperature given the absolute Gaia magnitude and metallicity, yielding M = 0.169 +/- 0.006, R = 0.19 +/- 0.01 and Teff = 3054 +/- 44 K. Our asteroseismic age of 6.2 +/- 1.4 (stat) +/- 0.6 (sys) Gyr for the primary places $α$ Men B within a small population of M dwarfs with precisely measured ages. We combined multiple ground-based spectroscopy surveys to reveal an activity cycle of 13.1 +/- 1.1 years, a period similar to that observed in the Sun. We used different gyrochronology models with the asteroseismic age to estimate a rotation period of ~30 days for the primary. Alpha Men A is now the closest (d=10pc) solar analog with a precise asteroseismic age from space-based photometry, making it a prime target for next-generation direct imaging missions searching for true Earth analogs.

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Flares Big and Small: a K2 and TESS View of ASAS-SN Superflares

We investigate the flare-frequency distributions of 5 M-dwarfs that experienced superflares with energies in excess of $10^{33}$ erg detected by ASAS-SN. We use K2 and TESS short-cadence observations along with archival ASAS-SN data to categorise the flaring behaviour of these stars across a range of flare energies. We were able to extract a rotation period for 4 of the stars. They were all fast rotators ($P_{\mathrm{rot}} \leq 6 \textrm{d}$), implying relative youth. We find that the flare-frequency distributions for each of the stars are well fit by a power-law, with slopes between $α= 1.22$ and $α= 1.82$. These slopes are significantly flatter than those of fast-rotating M-dwarfs not selected for their superflaring activity, corresponding to an increased number of high energy flares. Despite our specific selection of superflaring stars with shallow flare-rate distributions and more power in higher-energy flares, we find that the implied UV flux is insufficient to deplete the ozone of earth-sized planets in the habitable zone around these stars. Furthermore, we find that the flares detected on the stars in our sample are insufficient to produce the UV flux needed to fuel abiogenetic processes. These results imply that given available models, even M-dwarfs selected for extreme flaring properties may have insufficient UV emission from flares to impact exolife on earth-sized planets in the habitable zones around M-dwarfs.

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Magnetic and Rotational Evolution of $ρ$ CrB from Asteroseismology with TESS

During the first half of main-sequence lifetimes, the evolution of rotation and magnetic activity in solar-type stars appears to be strongly coupled. Recent observations suggest that rotation rates evolve much more slowly beyond middle-age, while stellar activity continues to decline. We aim to characterize this mid-life transition by combining archival stellar activity data from the Mount Wilson Observatory with asteroseismology from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). For two stars on opposite sides of the transition (88 Leo and $ρ$ CrB), we independently assess the mean activity levels and rotation periods previously reported in the literature. For the less active star ($ρ$ CrB), we detect solar-like oscillations from TESS photometry, and we obtain precise stellar properties from asteroseismic modeling. We derive updated X-ray luminosities for both stars to estimate their mass-loss rates, and we use previously published constraints on magnetic morphology to model the evolutionary change in magnetic braking torque. We then attempt to match the observations with rotational evolution models, assuming either standard spin-down or weakened magnetic braking. We conclude that the asteroseismic age of $ρ$ CrB is consistent with the expected evolution of its mean activity level, and that weakened braking models can more readily explain its relatively fast rotation rate. Future spectropolarimetric observations across a range of spectral types promise to further characterize the shift in magnetic morphology that apparently drives this mid-life transition in solar-type stars.

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Recovery of TESS Stellar Rotation Periods Using Deep Learning

We used a convolutional neural network to infer stellar rotation periods from a set of synthetic light curves simulated with realistic spot evolution patterns. We convolved these simulated light curves with real TESS light curves containing minimal intrinsic astrophysical variability to allow the network to learn TESS systematics and estimate rotation periods despite them. In addition to periods, we predict uncertainties via heteroskedastic regression to estimate the credibility of the period predictions. In the most credible half of the test data, we recover 10%-accurate periods for 46% of the targets, and 20%-accurate periods for 69% of the targets. Using our trained network, we successfully recover periods of real stars with literature rotation measurements, even past the 13.7-day limit generally encountered by TESS rotation searches using conventional period-finding techniques. Our method also demonstrates resistance to half-period aliases. We present the neural network and simulated training data, and introduce the software butterpy used to synthesize the light curves using realistic star spot evolution.

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Testing the Limits of Precise Subgiant Characterization with APOGEE and Gaia: Opening a Window to Unprecedented Astrophysical Studies

Given their location on the Hertzsprung-Russell (HR) diagram, thoroughly characterized subgiant stars can place stringent constraints on a wide range of astrophysical problems. Accordingly, they are prime asteroseismic targets for the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission. In this work, we infer stellar properties for a sample of 347 subgiants located in the TESS Continuous Viewing Zones (CVZs), which we select based on their likelihood of showing asteroseismic oscillations. We investigate how well they can be characterized using classical constraints (photometry, astrometry), and validate our results using spectroscopic values. We derive luminosities, effective temperatures, and radii with mean 1$σ$ random (systematic) uncertainties of 4.5% (2%), 33 K (60 K), and 2.2% (2%), as well as more model-dependent quantities such as surface gravities, masses, and ages. We use our sample to demonstrate that subgiants are ideal targets for mass and age determination based on HR diagram location alone, discuss the advantages of stellar parameters derived from a detailed characterization over widely available catalogs, show that the generally used 3D extinction maps tend to overestimate the extinction for nearby stars (distance $\lesssim$ 500 pc), and find a correlation that supports the rotation-activity connection in post main sequence stars. The complementary roles played by classical and asteroseismic data sets will open a window to unprecedented astrophysical studies using subgiant stars.

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Statistics of the Chemical Composition of Solar Analog Stars and Links to Planet Formation

The Sun has been found to be depleted in refractory (rock-forming) elements relative to nearby solar analogs, suggesting a potential indicator of planet formation. Given the small amplitude of the depletion, previous analyses have primarily relied on high signal-to-noise stellar spectra and a strictly differential approach to determine elemental abundances. We present an alternative, likelihood-based approach that can be applied to much larger samples of stars with lower precision abundance determinations. We utilize measurements of about 1700 solar analogs from the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE-2) and the stellar parameter and chemical abundance pipeline (ASPCAP DR16). By developing a hierarchical mixture model for the data, we place constraints on the statistical properties of the elemental abundances, including correlations with condensation temperature and the fraction of stars with refractory element depletions. We find evidence for two distinct populations: a depleted population of stars that makes up the majority of solar analogs including the Sun, and a not-depleted population that makes up between 10-30% of our sample. We find correlations with condensation temperature generally in agreement with higher precision surveys of a smaller sample of stars. Such trends, if robustly linked to the formation of planetary systems, provide a means to connect stellar chemical abundance patterns to planetary systems over large samples of Milky Way stars.

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Prospects for Galactic and stellar astrophysics with asteroseismology of giant stars in the $\it{TESS}$ Continuous Viewing Zones and beyond

The NASA-$\it{TESS}$ mission presents a treasure trove for understanding the stars it observes and the Milky Way, in which they reside. We present a first look at the prospects for Galactic and stellar astrophysics by performing initial asteroseismic analyses of bright ($G < 11$) red giant stars in the $\it{TESS}$ Southern Continuous Viewing Zone (SCVZ). Using three independent pipelines, we detect $ν_{\mathrm{max}}$ and $Δν$ in 41% of the 15,405 star parent sample (6,388 stars), with consistency at a level of $\sim 2\%$ in $ν_{\mathrm{max}}$ and $\sim 5\%$ in $Δν$. Based on this, we predict that seismology will be attainable for $\sim 3\times10^{5}$ giants across the whole sky, subject to improvements in analysis and data reduction techniques. The best quality $\it{TESS}$-CVZ data, for 5,574 stars where pipelines returned consistent results, provide high quality power spectra across a number of stellar evolutionary states. This makes possible studies of, for example, the Asymptotic Giant Branch bump (AGBb). We demonstrate that mixed $\ell=1$ modes and rotational splitting are cleanly observed in the 1-year data set. By combining $\it{TESS}$-CVZ data with $\it{TESS}$-HERMES, $\it{SkyMapper}$, APOGEE and $\it{Gaia}$ we demonstrate the potential for Galactic archaeology studies using the data, which provides good age precision and accuracy that reproduces the age of high $\mathrm{[α/Fe]}$ stars and relationships between mass and kinematics from studies based on $\it{Kepler}$. Better quality astrometry and simpler target selection than the $\it{Kepler}$ sample makes this data ideal for studies of the local star formation history and evolution of the Galactic disc. These results provide a strong case for detailed spectroscopic follow-up in the CVZs to complement that which has been (or will be) collected by current surveys. [Abridged]

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The Evolution of Rotation and Magnetic Activity in 94 Aqr Aa from Asteroseismology with TESS

Most previous efforts to calibrate how rotation and magnetic activity depend on stellar age and mass have relied on observations of clusters, where isochrones from stellar evolution models are used to determine the properties of the ensemble. Asteroseismology employs similar models to measure the properties of an individual star by matching its normal modes of oscillation, yielding the stellar age and mass with high precision. We use 27 days of photometry from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite to characterize solar-like oscillations in the G8 subgiant of the 94 Aqr triple system. The resulting stellar properties, when combined with a reanalysis of 35 yr of activity measurements from the Mount Wilson HK project, allow us to probe the evolution of rotation and magnetic activity in the system. The asteroseismic age of the subgiant agrees with a stellar isochrone fit, but the rotation period is much shorter than expected from standard models of angular momentum evolution. We conclude that weakened magnetic braking may be needed to reproduce the stellar properties, and that evolved subgiants in the hydrogen shell-burning phase can reinvigorate large-scale dynamo action and briefly sustain magnetic activity cycles before ascending the red giant branch.

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The Gaia-Kepler Stellar Properties Catalog. II. Planet Radius Demographics as a Function of Stellar Mass and Age

Studies of exoplanet demographics require large samples and precise constraints on exoplanet host stars. Using the homogeneous Kepler stellar properties derived using Gaia Data Release 2 by Berger et al. (2020), we re-compute Kepler planet radii and incident fluxes and investigate their distributions with stellar mass and age. We measure the stellar mass dependence of the planet radius valley to be $d \log R_{\mathrm{p}}$/$d \log M_\star = 0.26^{+0.21}_{-0.16}$, consistent with the slope predicted by a planet mass dependence on stellar mass ($0.24-0.35$) and core-powered mass-loss (0.33). We also find first evidence of a stellar age dependence of the planet populations straddling the radius valley. Specifically, we determine that the fraction of super-Earths ($1-1.8 \mathrm{R_\oplus}$) to sub-Neptunes ($1.8-3.5 \mathrm{R_\oplus}$) increases from $0.61 \pm 0.09$ at young ages (< 1 Gyr) to $1.00 \pm 0.10$ at old ages (> 1 Gyr), consistent with the prediction by core-powered mass-loss that the mechanism shaping the radius valley operates over Gyr timescales. Additionally, we find a tentative decrease in the radii of relatively cool ($F_{\mathrm{p}} < 150 \mathrm{F_\oplus}$) sub-Neptunes over Gyr timescales, which suggests that these planets may possess H/He envelopes instead of higher mean molecular weight atmospheres. We confirm the existence of planets within the hot sub-Neptunian "desert" ($2.2 < R_{\mathrm{p}} < 3.8 \mathrm{R_\oplus}$, $F_{\mathrm{p}} > 650 \mathrm{F_\oplus}$) and show that these planets are preferentially orbiting more evolved stars compared to other planets at similar incident fluxes. In addition, we identify candidates for cool ($F_{\mathrm{p}} < 20 \mathrm{F_\oplus}$) inflated Jupiters, present a revised list of habitable zone candidates, and find that the ages of single- and multiple-transiting planet systems are statistically indistinguishable.

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Rotation of Kepler field dwarfs and sub giants: Spectroscopic $v \sin I$ from APOGEE

We use 5,337 spectroscopic $v \sin i$ measurements of Kepler dwarfs and subgiants from the APOGEE survey to study stellar rotation trends. We find a detection threshold of 10 km/s, which allows us to explore the spindown of intermediate-mass stars leaving the main sequence, merger products, young stars, and tidally-synchronized binaries. We see a clear distinction between blue stragglers and the field turnoff in $α$-rich stars, with a sharp rapid rotation cutoff for blue stragglers consistent with the Kraft break. We also find rapid rotation and RV variability in a sample of red straggler stars, considerably cooler than the giant branch, lending credence to the hypothesis that these are active, tidally-synchronized binaries. We see clear evidence for a transition between rapid and slow rotation on the subgiant branch in the domain predicted by modern angular momentum evolution models. We find substantial agreement between the spectroscopic and photometric properties of KIC targets added by Huber et al (2014) based on 2MASS photometry. For the unevolved lower main sequence, we see the same concentration toward rapid rotation in photometric binaries as that observed in rotation period data, but at an enhanced rate. We attribute this difference to unresolved near-equal luminosity spectroscopic binaries with velocity displacements on the order of the APOGEE resolution. Among cool unevolved stars we find an excess rapid rotator fraction of 4% caused by pipeline issues with photometric binaries.

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