Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics
Scientific paper
1998-02-13
Astrophys.J. 502 (1998) 342
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
66 pages including 24 encapsulated figures. Accepted by the Astrophysical Journal
Scientific paper
10.1086/305869
We present a series of 2-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations of massive disks around protostars. We simulate the same physical problem using both a `Piecewise Parabolic Method' (PPM) code and a `Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamic' (SPH) code, and analyze their differences. The disks studied here range in mass from $0.05 M_*$ to $1.0 M_*$ and in initial minimum Toomre $Q$ value from 1.1 to 3.0. For this problem, the strengths of the codes overlap only in a limited fashion, but similarities exist in their predictions, including spiral arm pattern speeds and morphological features. Our results represent limiting cases (i.e. systems evolved isothermally) rather than true physical systems. Disks become active from the inner regions outward. From the earliest times, their evolution is a strongly dynamic process rather than a smooth progression toward eventual nonlinear behavior. We calculate approximate growth rates for the spiral patterns; the one-armed ($m=1$) spiral arm is not the fastest growing pattern of most disks. In our SPH simulations, disks with initial minimum $Q=1.5$ or lower break up into proto-binary or proto-planetary clumps. However, these simulations cannot follow the physics important for the flow and must be terminated before the system has completely evolved. At their termination, PPM simulations with similar initial conditions show uneven mass distributions within spiral arms, suggesting that clumping behavior might result if they were carried further. Concern that the point-like nature of SPH exaggerates clumping, that our representation of the gravitational potential in PPM is too coarse, and that our physics assumptions are too simple, suggest caution in interpretation of the clumping in both the disk and torus simulations.
;
Adams Fred C.
Arnett David
Benz Willy
Nelson Andrew F.
No associations
LandOfFree
Dynamics of Circumstellar Disks does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.
If you have personal experience with Dynamics of Circumstellar Disks, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Dynamics of Circumstellar Disks will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-535749