The effects of X-ray photoionization and heating on the structure of circumstellar discs

Details The effects of X-ray photoionization and heating on the structure of circumstellar discs The effects of X-ray photoionization and heating on the structure of circumstellar discs

2004-06-29

arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0406643v1

Mon.Not.Roy.Astron.Soc. 354 (2004) 71-80

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astrophysics

11 pages, 7 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRAS

Scientific paper

10.1111/j.1365-2966.2004.08161.x

We present the results of a theoretical study investigating the effects of photoionization and heating by X-rays on discs around low-mass stars. In particular we address the question of whether or not X-rays can drive a disc wind. First, we construct a 1-dimensional ``quasi-hydrostatic'' model, which solves for the vertical structure introduced by X-ray heating. We consider uniform X-ray illumination of the disc, but the X-ray fluxes required to heat the disc significantly are much greater than those seen by recent observations. When the model is extended to consider heating from a central X-ray source we find that the 1-dimensional model is only valid very close to the star. We extend our analysis to consider a simple 2-dimensional model, treating the disc as a two-layered structure and solving for its density profile self-consistently. For T Tauri stars we are able to set a crude upper limit on the mass-loss rate that can be driven by X-ray photoevaporation, with a value of ~10^-13 g/cm^2/s. Our model is designed to maximise this value, and most likely over-estimates it significantly. However we still find a mass-loss rate which is less than that found in studies of ultraviolet photoevaporation. We conclude that in the presence of a significant UV field, X-ray driven disc winds are unlikely to play a significant role in the evolution of discs around low-mass stars.

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