Determining the Inclination of the Rotation Axis of a Sun‐like Star

L. Gizon, S. K. Solanki
2003 Astrophysical Journal  
Asteroseismology provides us with the possibility of determining the angle, i, between the direction of the rotation axis of a pulsating Sun-like star and the line of sight. A knowledge of i is important not just for obtaining improved stellar parameters, but also in order to determine the true masses of extrasolar planets detected from the radial velocity shifts of their central stars. By means of Monte Carlo simulations, we estimate the precision of the measurement of i and other stellar
more » ... eters. We find that the inclination angle can be retrieved accurately when ie30 for stars that rotate at least twice as fast as the Sun.
doi:10.1086/374715 fatcat:3kgctcu76ba57lehvw36wkygi4