According to new research, aging stars are not behaving as expected. They appear to be spinning faster than was expected from scientists. Stars including our Sun begin their life spinning around and the process tends to slow down with time. This process of deceleration is called “magnetic braking.”

However, in recent years, scientists have suggested that existing magnetic barking theories could be wrong, and their effects might be overstated. In 2016, a study tracked dark spots as a way to determine the spin speed of a star and found that they were spinning faster than what was expected for their age.

Astroseismology determined the speed

A new study backs that research, with a new method. The team used the “astroseismology” process to find that the stars are actually spinning faster than expected. The team monitored the oscillations produced due to sound waves stuck in the star. These oscillations help researchers understand the age and size of the star.

In the latest study, however, researchers examined the frequencies of the sound waves and used them to understand the spin speed. It confirmed that aging stars were actually moving more quickly.

Dwelling on previous studies

The 2016 study worked to prove the spin of younger stars but proved difficult for old stars as they lose spots with time. However, the new study tackles those problems and serves as substantial proof.

 “Although we’ve suspected for some time that older stars rotate faster than magnetic braking theories predict, these new asteroseismic data are the most convincing yet to demonstrate that this ‘weakened magnetic braking’ is actually the case,” said Oliver Hall, lead author on the new paper.

“Models based on young stars suggest that the change in a star’s spin is consistent throughout their lifetime, which is different to what we see in these new data.”

The new findings will also help understand what will happen to our Sun as it gets old in the coming billions of years.