Related papers: Protoplanetary disc evolution affected by star-dis…
While planets in the solar system only have a low inclination with respect to the ecliptic there is mounting evidence that in extrasolar systems the inclination can be very high, at least for close-in planets. One process to alter the…
Observations indicate that the dispersal of protoplanetary discs in star clusters occurs on time scales of about 5 Myr. Several processes are thought to be responsible for this disc dispersal. Here we compare two of these processes:…
We investigate under what circumstances an embedded planet in a protoplanetary disc may sculpt the dust distribution such that it observationally presents as a `transition' disc. We concern ourselves with `transition' discs that have large…
We show, using the N-body code GADGET-2, that stellar scattering by massive clumps can produce exponential discs, and the effectiveness of the process depends on the mass of scattering centres, as well as the stability of the galactic disc.…
We present high resolution 3-D simulations of the planet-disc interaction using smoothed particle hydrodynamics, to investigate the possibility of driving eccentricity growth by this mechanism. For models with a given disc viscosity (\alpha…
Interactions between disc-surrounded stars might play a vital role in the formation of planetary systems. Here a first parameter study of the effects of encounters on low-mass discs is presented. The dependence of the mass and angular…
The disks that orbit young stars are the essential conduits and reservoirs of material for star and planet formation. Their structures, meaning the spatial variations of the disk physical conditions, reflect the underlying mechanisms that…
Context. The model of disc fragmentation due to gravitational instabilities offers an alternate formation mechanism for gas giant planets, especially those on wide orbits. Aims. Our goal is to determine the 3D structure of disc-instability…
We examine the properties of embedded clusters within 1 kiloparsec using new data from the Spitzer Space Telescope, as well as recent results from 2MASS and other ground-based near-infrared surveys. We use surveys of entire molecular clouds…
The formation and early evolution of low mass young stellar objects (YSOs) are investigated using three-dimensional non-ideal magneto-hydrodynamics simulations. We investigate the evolution of YSOs up to ~ 10^4 yr after protostar formation,…
Young protostellar discs are likely to be both self-gravitating, and to support grain growth to sizes where the particles decoupled from the gas. This combination could lead to short-wavelength fragmentation of the solid component in…
In this paper we consider the evolution of small planetesimals in marginally stable, self-gravitating protoplanetary discs. The drag force between the disc gas and the embedded planetesimals generally causes the planetesimals to drift…
Context. More than 60 planets have been discovered so far in systems that harbour two stars, some of which have binary semi-major axes as small as 20 au. It is well known that the formation of planets in such systems is strongly influenced…
We discuss the factors influencing the formation and gravitational fragmentation of protostellar discs. We start with a review of how observations of prestellar cores can be analysed statistically to yield plausible initial conditions for…
The chemical evolution of the inner regions of protoplanetary discs is a complex process. Several factors influence it, one being the inward drift and evaporation of volatile-rich pebbles. During the disc's evolution, its inner part is…
Observations of the Galactic Centre show evidence of one or two disc-like structures of very young stars orbiting the central super-massive black hole within a distance of a few 0.1 pc. A number of analyses have been carried out to…
Disc winds and planet-disc interactions are two crucial mechanisms that define the structure, evolution and dispersal of protoplanetary discs. While winds are capable of removing material from discs, eventually leading to their dispersal,…
We study the evolution of the eccentricity and inclination of protoplanetary embryos and low-mass protoplanets (from a fraction of an Earth mass to a few Earth masses) embedded in a protoplanetary disc, by means of three dimensional…
Protoplanetary discs contain a wide range of dust sizes that influence their thermal structure and planet formation processes such as planetesimal formation and pebble accretion. Dust evolution models are therefore essential for both planet…
Planets grow via the collisional accretion of small bodies in a protoplanetary disk. Such small bodies feel strong gas drag and their orbits are significantly affected by the gas flow and atmospheric structure around the planet. We…