A Diagnostic for Localizing Red Giant Differential Rotation


Abstract in English

We present a simple diagnostic that can be used to constrain the location of the differential rotation in red giants with measured mixed mode rotational splittings. Specifically, in red giants with radii $sim 4R_odot$, the splittings of p-dominated modes (sound wave dominated) relative to those of g-dominated modes (internal gravity wave dominated) are sensitive to how much of the differential rotation resides in the outer convection zone versus the radiative interior of the red giant. An independently measured surface rotation rate significantly aids breaking degeneracies in interpreting the measured splittings. We apply our results to existing observations of red giants, particularly those of Kepler-56, and find that most of the differential rotation resides in the radiative region rather than in the convection zone. This conclusion is consistent with results in the literature from rotational

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