Mass and angular momentum loss of first stars via decretion disks

Abstract

Although the first stars were likely very hot and luminous, their low or zero metallicity implies that any mass loss through winds driven by line-scattering of radiation in metal ions was likely small or non-existent. Here we examine the potential role of another possible mechanism for mass loss in these first stars, namely via decretion disks associated with near-critical rotation induced from evolution of the stellar interior. In this case the mass loss is set by the angular momentum needed to keep the stellar rotation at or below the critical rate. In present evolutionary models, that mass loss is estimated by assuming effective release from a spherical shell at the surface. Here we examine the potentially important role of viscous coupling of the decretion disk in outward angular momentum transport, emphasizing that the specific angular momentum at the outer edge of the disk can be much larger than at the stellar surface. The net result is that, for a given stellar interior angular momentum excess, the mass loss required from a decretion disk can be significantly less than invoked in previous models assuming a direct, near-surface release.