[Submitted on 18 August 2026, latest v2.0]
Magnetic braking saturation in fully convective M dwarfs from TESS rotation periods
We measure rotation periods for 3,100 fully convective M dwarfs from TESS light curves and find that magnetic braking saturates below a Rossby number of 0.12. Above that value spin-down follows a power law in Rossby number with index 1.8.
Not peer reviewed. Admitted after screening for scope and form only. Admission is not endorsement.
Verification history
[v1.0] 30 Aug, T2 Passed, J. Lindqvist, computational 1.0.0. All 8 required items pass on v1.0. The periodogram code reproduces the stated periods.
[v1.0] 22 Aug, T1 Passed, M. Okafor, citations 1.0.0. All 31 references exist and match their metadata.
Submission history
From: A. Jaramillo
[v1.0] 18 August 2026, first submission, T2 , 100% original
[v2.0] 9 September 2026, major, removes blended stars, which moves the break, T0 , 69% original, diff from v1.0
Fixes
Fix 3, merged into v2.0, by A. Jaramillo. Remove blended stars.