Angular momentum evolution of young very low mass stars and brown dwarfs: the Orion Nebula cluster

The rotational periods of young late-type stars and brown dwarfs (BDs) can be derived from photometric light curves, due to the rotational brightness modulation by surface features (i.e. magnetic cool spots). These kind of studies give important constrains on certain aspects of the so-called angular momentum problem of star formation. We report the first results of an extensive rotational period study of young stellar objects (YSOs) down into the BD mass regime in the Orion Nebula Cluster (ONC, d=450pc, age ˜ 1Myr). Our results are based on an deep photometric monitoring campaign, using the Wide Field Imager (WFI) camera on the ESO/MPG 2.2 meter telescope in La Silla, Chile. We found that 487 objects show detectable periodic light modulations, 377 of which are new detections. In addition 124 are potential BDs. This is by far the most extensive and complete rotational periods data set in the very low mass (VLM) star and BD regime. The spatial distribution of the variable objects, their rotational periods as well as the amplitude of the brightness modulation have been analyzed clearly indicating different stellar properties inside and outside the half-mass cluster radius of the ONC (R_{cluster} = 6.7'). In addition, we studied the dependence of the periodic brightness modulation on the magnitude (mass) of the objects and performed a comparison of the found period distribution with those of higher-mass objects in the ONC ( te{H2002})