<p>Given the Gaia analysis of star movements in the galaxy, I wonder if we also got a better picture of their axial rotation in relation to their direction of travel. I couldn't find a precise answer so far, or rather, I found a bunch of data pertaining the solar apex, galactic kinematics, etc. but I'm still confused. I guess my proper question is: Is the axial rotation of a star in any way related to its direction of movement in the galaxy?</p>

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2024-12-26T19:36:24.600Z
How would you establish the spin vector of a star??
ProfRob
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2024-12-26T22:42:25.543Z
@ProfRob one possibility that comes to mind is if a star has planets, and if you can determine the orbital plane of those planets, and if stars are like the sun, and the orbital plane of the planets is close to equator of the star, you could use that to determine the spin vector of some stars, perhaps that would be enough to investigate if a correlation exists.
James K
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2024-12-26T22:45:26.387Z
But my other thought is that it seems unlikely.  The spin vector of a star probably doesn't change much, as it moves around the galaxy. But the direction of motion changes through 360 degrees. So there would be no particular relation between direction and spin.  Of course that;s just a guess, in the absence of evidence.
James K
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-12-26T23:05:01.670Z
@ProfRob Maybe for some binary stars? E.g., https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article/478/2/1942/5036179
Peter Erwin
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2024-12-26T23:54:07.467Z
@JamesK many stars have planet orbits misaligned with their spin. The spin vector is still unknown, since there is Rotational symmetry around the line of sight.
ProfRob
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2024-12-26T23:56:55.643Z
@PeterErwin that paper gives results for misalignment between spin and orbital axes. Neither is determined. We can know the inclination of the spin/orbital axes, but that still leaves their vector directions ambiguous.
ProfRob
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-12-27T16:11:42.397Z
Polarization from a spinning star
http://www.star.ucl.ac.uk/~idh/Regulus/RegulusNV.pdf
eshaya
<galactic-dynamics><star-systems><proper-motion>
Is the axial rotation of a star in any way related to its direction of movement in the galaxy?
armaninux
# Is the axial rotation of a star in any way related to its direction of movement in the galaxy?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2024-12-26)

Given the Gaia analysis of star movements in the galaxy, I wonder if we also got a better picture of their axial rotation in relation to their direction of travel. I couldn't find a precise answer so far, or rather, I found a bunch of data pertaining the solar apex, galactic kinematics, etc. but I'm still confused. I guess my proper question is: Is the axial rotation of a star in any way related to its direction of movement in the galaxy?

**Tags:** galactic-dynamics, star-systems, proper-motion

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: How would you establish the spin vector of a star??  
> **username_2**: @username_1 one possibility that comes to mind is if a star has planets, and if you can determine the orbital plane of those planets, and if stars are like the sun, and the orbital plane of the planets is close to equator of the star, you could use that to determine the spin vector of some stars, perhaps that would be enough to investigate if a correlation exists.  
> **username_2**: But my other thought is that it seems unlikely.  The spin vector of a star probably doesn't change much, as it moves around the galaxy. But the direction of motion changes through 360 degrees. So there would be no particular relation between direction and spin.  Of course that;s just a guess, in the absence of evidence.  
> **username_3**: @username_1 Maybe for some binary stars? E.g., https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article/478/2/1942/5036179  
> **username_1**: @username_2 many stars have planet orbits misaligned with their spin. The spin vector is still unknown, since there is Rotational symmetry around the line of sight.  
> **username_1**: @username_3 that paper gives results for misalignment between spin and orbital axes. Neither is determined. We can know the inclination of the spin/orbital axes, but that still leaves their vector directions ambiguous.  
> **username_4**: Polarization from a spinning star http://www.star.ucl.ac.uk/~idh/Regulus/RegulusNV.pdf  

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