Is the Metallicity-rotation Correlation in Stars Determined by Deep-seated or Near-surface Layers in the Convective Envelope?

Abstract Metal-poor stars generally rotate faster than metal-rich stars. Recent explanations for this correlation rely on use of a Rossby number evaluated in the deepest layers of the convection zone. Here, I hypothesize that the correlation can also be understood in terms of conditions in the near-surface layers of the convection zone. The advantage of the latter is that physical parameters are more reliably measurable than in the deep interior.