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Dynamo

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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Constraining Protoplanetary Disc Accretion And Young Planets Using Alma Kinematic Observations, Ian Rabago, Zhaohuan Zhu Feb 2021

Constraining Protoplanetary Disc Accretion And Young Planets Using Alma Kinematic Observations, Ian Rabago, Zhaohuan Zhu

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Research

Recent ALMA molecular line observations have revealed 3D gas velocity structure in protoplanetary discs, shedding light on mechanisms of disc accretion and structure formation. (1) By carrying out viscous simulations, we confirm that the disc's velocity structure differs dramatically using vertical stress profiles from different accretion mechanisms. Thus, kinematic observations tracing flows at different disc heights can potentially distinguish different accretion mechanisms. On the other hand, the disc surface density evolution is mostly determined by the vertically integrated stress. The sharp disc outer edge constrained by recent kinematic observations can be caused by a radially varying alpha in the disc. …


Global 3d Radiation Magnetohydrodynamic Simulations For Fu Ori's Accretion Disc And Observational Signatures Of Magnetic Fields, Zhaohuan Zhu, Yan-Fei Jiang, James M. Stone Apr 2020

Global 3d Radiation Magnetohydrodynamic Simulations For Fu Ori's Accretion Disc And Observational Signatures Of Magnetic Fields, Zhaohuan Zhu, Yan-Fei Jiang, James M. Stone

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Research

FU Ori is the prototype of FU Orionis systems that are outbursting protoplanetary discs. Magnetic fields in FU Ori’s accretion discs have previously been detected using spectropolarimetry observations for Zeeman effects. We carry out global radiation ideal MHD simulations to study FU Ori’s inner accretion disc. We find that (1) when the disc is threaded by vertical magnetic fields, most accretion occurs in the magnetically dominated atmosphere at z ∼ R, similar to the ‘surface accretion’ mechanism in previous locally isothermal MHD simulations. (2) A moderate disc wind is launched in the vertical field simulations with a terminal speed of …