Determining Stellar Ages with a Daisy Chain Algorithm

Gyrochronology, the observed correlation between a star’s period of rotation and its age, is a dating method based primarily on known stellar cluster data. This project seeks to quantitatively test the viability of wide stellar binary pairs as an alternative to ages derived from evolutionary models. The specific method used, “daisy-chaining”, assumes both components in each pair are the same age and therefore, the same rotation rate which are then used to trace lines of constant age across the rotation period vs. color index relation. This method relies on white dwarf cooling models to date the lines of constant age. Results suggest that these wide binaries track bands of constant age, known as “gyrochrones”, nearly as well as do stars in clusters.