Magnetic Braking by a Stellar Wind--II

Abstract

The theory developed in Paper I is extended to apply to stars with the magnetic dipole inclined to the rotation axis at an arbitrary angle χ . It is shown that in addition to the principal component of the magnetic torque, acting along the rotation axis and tending to brake the star, there are components along the two perpendicular axes which cause the rotation axis to precess through the star. These components certainly vanish when χ = ο—the axisymmetric case of I —or χ = π /2 J detailed numerical work will determine whether the asymptotic state reached by the star is with χ = ο, π /2, or possibly some intermediate value.