TY - JOUR
T1 - The origin of magnetism on the upper main sequence
AU - Ferrario, Lilia
AU - Pringle, J. E.
AU - Tout, Christopher A.
AU - Wickramasinghe, D. T.
PY - 2009/11
Y1 - 2009/11
N2 - We consider the incidence of magnetism in main-sequence stars with mainly radiative envelopes. We propose that the small fraction, which increases with mass, of stars which are magnetic can be explained if towards the end of the formation process, after the stars have developed a substantial radiative envelope, a correspondingly small fraction of stars merge. Such late mergers would produce a brief period of strong differential rotation and give rise to large-scale fields in the radiative envelopes. Such late mergers can also account for the lack of close binaries among these stars.
AB - We consider the incidence of magnetism in main-sequence stars with mainly radiative envelopes. We propose that the small fraction, which increases with mass, of stars which are magnetic can be explained if towards the end of the formation process, after the stars have developed a substantial radiative envelope, a correspondingly small fraction of stars merge. Such late mergers would produce a brief period of strong differential rotation and give rise to large-scale fields in the radiative envelopes. Such late mergers can also account for the lack of close binaries among these stars.
KW - Stars: evolution
KW - Stars: formation
KW - Stars: magnetic fields
KW - Stars: pre-main-sequence
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77957739386&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/j.1745-3933.2009.00765.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1745-3933.2009.00765.x
M3 - Letter
SN - 1745-3925
VL - 400
SP - L71-L74
JO - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
JF - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
IS - 1
ER -