Related papers: Protoplanetary Disk Sizes and Angular Momentum Tra…
The origin of disks surrounding young stars has direct implications for our understanding of the formation of planetary systems. In the interstellar clouds from which star form, angular momentum is regulated by magnetic fields, preventing…
We show that the distribution of observed accretion rates is a powerful diagnostic of protoplanetary disc physics. Accretion due to turbulent ("viscous") transport of angular momentum results in a fundamentally different distribution of…
We model the mass accretion rate $\dot{M}$ to stellar mass $M_*$ correlation that has been inferred from observations of intermediate to upper mass T Tauri stars---that is $\dot{M} \propto M_*^{1.3 \pm 0.3}$. We explain this correlation…
We review the present knowledge of disk accretion in young low mass stars, and in particular, the mass accretion rate and its evolution with time. The methods used to obtain mass accretion rates from ultraviolet excesses and emission lines…
How do T Tauri disks accrete? The magneto-rotational instability (MRI) supplies one means, but protoplanetary disk gas is typically too poorly ionized to be magnetically active. Here we show that the MRI can, in fact, explain observed…
We have studied numerically the evolution of protostellar disks around intermediate and upper mass T Tauri stars (0.25 M_sun < M_st < 3.0 M_sun) that have formed self-consistently from the collapse of molecular cloud cores. In the T Tauri…
Context: While class II pre-main-sequence (PMS) stars have already accreted most of their mass, the continued inflow of fresh material via Bondi-Hoyle accretion acts as an additional mass reservoir for their circumstellar disks. This may…
Establishing the origin of accretion powered winds from forming stars is critical for understanding angular momentum evolution in the star-disk interaction region. Here, the high velocity component of accretion powered winds is launched and…
In low-mass disks, turbulent torques are probably the most important way of redistributing angular momentum. Here we present the theory of turbulent accretion disks. We show the molecular viscosity is far too small to account for the…
Protoplanetary disk evolution exhibits trends with stellar mass, but also diversity of structure, and lifetime, with implications for planet formation and demographics. We show how varied outcomes can result from evolving structures in the…
Understanding the mechanism that drives accretion has been the primary challenge in accretion disk theory. Turbulence provides a natural means of dissipation and the removal of angular momentum, but firmly establishing its presence in disks…
We investigate the dynamics of the accretion disks of young stars with fossil large-scale magnetic field. The author's magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model of the accretion disks is generalized to consider the dynamical influence of the magnetic…
The dust- and gas-rich protoplanetary disks around young stellar systems play a key role in star and planet formation. While considerable progress has recently been made in probing these disks on large scales of a few tens of astronomical…
We investigate where in protoplanetary disks magnetorotational instability operates, which can cause angular momentum transport in the disks. We investigate the spatial distribution of various charged particles and the unstable regions for…
The inner 0.1 AU around accreting T Tauri stars hold clues to many physical processes that characterize the early evolution of solar-type stars. The accretion-ejection connection takes place at least in part in this compact magnetized…
We consider the accretion process in a disk with magnetic fields that are dragged in from the interstellar medium by gravitational collapse. Two diffusive processes are at work in the system: (1) "viscous" torques exerted by turbulent and…
Young stars and planetary systems form in molecular clouds. For classical T Tauri stars (CTTS, F-K type precursors) the accretion disk does not reach down to the central star, but it is truncated near the co-rotation radius. The inner edge…
Throughout the Hubble time, gas makes its way from the intergalactic medium into galaxies fuelling their star formation and promoting their growth. One of the key properties of the accreting gas is its angular momentum, which has profound…
The nature and rate of (viscous) angular momentum transport in protoplanetary discs (PPDs) has important consequences for the formation process of planetary systems. While accretion rates onto the central star yield constraints on such…
In the early stages of star formation, boundary layer accretion, where protostars accrete material from disks extending down to their surfaces, plays a crucial role. Understanding how a magneto-rotational-instability (MRI)-active disk…