A comparison study of the vertical and magnetic shear instabilities in accretion discs

Abstract

We consider the stability properties of discs rotating with the angular velocity dependent on both the radial and vertical coordinates. A vertical dependence of Ω destabilizes the disc at any particular form of this dependence. The growth rate of the vertical shear instability is calculated and compared with that of the magnetic shear instability. We find that the vertical shear instability grows faster for a wide range of parameters.