Slingshot prominence evolution for a solar-like star

Abstract

Although the present-day Sun rotates too slowly to exhibit centrifugally supported ‘slingshot prominences’, at some time during its past it may have formed these clouds of cool gas and ejected them into the interplanetary medium. We determine the time period for this behaviour using a rotation evolution code to derive the properties of the formation and ejection of slingshot prominences during the lifetime of a star similar to our Sun. The mass, mass-loss rate, and rate of ejection of these prominences are calculated using the analytical expression derived in our previous work. We find that for stars with an initial rotation rate larger than 4.6Ω⊙⁠, about half of all solar mass stars, slingshot prominences will be present even after the star reaches the main-sequence phase. In a fast rotator, this means that prominences can form until the star reaches ∼800 Myr old. Our results also indicate that the mass and lifetime of this type of prominence have maximum values when the star reaches the zero-age main sequence at an age of ∼40 Myr for a solar mass star.