A Numerical Study of Viscous Flows in Axisymmetric alpha -Accretion Disks

Abstract

view Abstract Citations (46) References (25) Co-Reads Similar Papers Volume Content Graphics Metrics Export Citation NASA/ADS A Numerical Study of Viscous Flows in Axisymmetric alpha -Accretion Disks Rozyczka, Michal ; Bodenheimer, Peter ; Bell, K. R. Abstract Two-dimensional axisymmetric solutions of the equations of hydrodynamics, including radiation transport and local energy generation due to viscosity, are presented for the case of non-self-gravitating protoplanetary disks around young solar-type stars. The parameters that are varied include the accretion rate in the disk, the magnitude of the viscosity parameter α, the boundary conditions, and the initial conditions. In general, for α > 0.05 and for distances >0.5 AU, the flow pattern is found to consist of a radial outflow near the equatorial plane and a radial inflow near the disk surface. Unlike one-dimensional vertical structure models in this regime, the flow is stable to convection, implying a physically inconsistent model in which the convective turbulence required to generate the viscosity is actually not present. Reduction of α to order 10-3 is necessary to regain consistency. However, in the warmer regions interior to 0.5 AU, where the opacity rises steeply as a consequence of hydrogen ionization, a physically consistent turbulent flow is found even for α = 0.05. Model results are compared with one-dimensional vertical structure calculations. Publication: The Astrophysical Journal Pub Date: March 1994 DOI: 10.1086/173853 Bibcode: 1994ApJ...423..736R Keywords: ACCRETION; ACCRETION DISKS; HYDRODYNAMICS; RADIATIVE TRANSFER; STARS: FORMATION full text sources ADS |