arXiv subjects

J. C. B. Papaloizou

Publications and source records attributed to J. C. B. Papaloizou.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2014

On the local stability of vortices in differentially rotating discs

In order to circumvent the loss of solid material through radial drift towards the central star, the trapping of dust inside persistent vortices in protoplanetary discs has often been suggested as a process that can eventually lead to planetesimal formation. Although a few special cases have been discussed, exhaustive studies of possible quasi-steady configurations available for dust-laden vortices and their stability have yet to be undertaken, thus their viability or otherwise as locations for the gravitational instability to take hold and seed planet formation is unclear. In this paper we generalise and extend the well known Kida solution to obtain a series of steady state solutions with varying vorticity and dust density distributions in their cores, in the limit of perfectly coupled dust and gas. We then present a local stability analysis of these configurations, considering perturbations localised on streamlines. Typical parametric instabilities found have growthrates of $~0.05Ω_P$, where $Ω_P$ is the angular velocity at the centre of the vortex. Models with density excess can exhibit many narrow parametric instability bands while those with a concentrated vorticity source display internal shear which significantly affects their stability. However, the existence of these parametric instabilities may not necessarily prevent the possibility of dust accumulation in vortices.

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arXiv2014

Evolution of a disc-planet system with a binary companion on an inclined orbit

We study orbital inclination changes associated with the precession of a disc-planet system that occurs through gravitational interaction with a binary companion on an inclined orbit. We investigate whether this scenario can account for giant planets on close orbits highly inclined to the stellar equatorial plane. We obtain conditions for maintaining approximate coplanarity and test them with SPH-simulations. For parameters of interest, the system undergoes approximate rigid body precession with modest warping while the planets migrate inwards. Because of pressure forces, disc self-gravity is not needed to maintain the configuration. We consider a disc and single planet for different initial inclinations of the binary orbit to the midplane of the combined system and a system of three planets for which migration leads to dynamical instability that reorders the planets. As the interaction is dominated by the time averaged quadrupole component of the binary's perturbing potential, results for a circular orbit can be scaled to apply to eccentric orbits. The system responded adiabatically when changes to binary orbital parameters occurred on time scales exceeding the orbital period. Accordingly inclination changes are maintained under its slow removal. Thus the scenario for generating high inclination planetary orbits studied here, is promising.

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arXiv2013

Dynamical tides excited in rotating stars of different masses and ages and the formation of close in orbits

We study the tidal response of rotating solar mass stars, as well as more massive rotating stars, of different ages in the context of tidal captures leading to either giant exoplanets on close in orbits, or the formation of binary systems in star clusters. To do this, we adopt approaches based on normal mode and associated overlap integral evaluation, developed in a companion paper by Ivanov et al., and direct numerical simulation, to evaluate energy and angular momentum exchanges between the orbit and normal modes. The two approaches are found to be in essential agreement apart from when encounters occur near to pseudosynchronization, where the stellar angular velocity and the orbital angular velocity at periastron are approximately matched. We find that the strength of tidal interaction being expressed in dimensionless natural units is significantly weaker for the more massive stars, as compared to the solar mass stars, because of the lack of significant convective regions in the former case. On the other hand the interaction is found to be stronger for retrograde as opposed to prograde orbits in all cases. In addition, for a given pericentre distance, tidal interactions also strengthen for more evolved stars on account of their radial expansion. In agreement with previous work based on simplified polytropic models, we find that energy transferred to their central stars could play a significant role in the early stages of the circularisation of potential 'Hot Jupiters'.

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arXiv2013

A unified normal mode approach to dynamic tides and its application to rotating Sun-like stars

We determine the response of a uniformly rotating star to tidal perturbations due to a companion. General periodic orbits and parabolic flybys are considered. We evaluate energy and angular momentum exchange rates as a sum of contributions from normal modes allowing for dissipative processes. We consider the case when the response is dominated by the contribution of an identifiable regular spectrum of low frequency modes, such as gravity modes and evaluate it in the limit of very weak dissipation. Our formalism may be applied both to Sun-like stars with radiative cores and convective envelopes and to more massive stars with convective cores and radiative envelopes. We provide general expressions for transfer of energy and angular momentum valid for an orbit with any eccentricity. Detailed calculations are made for Sun-like stars in the slow rotation regime where centrifugal distortion is neglected in the equilibrium and the traditional approximation is made for the normal modes. We use both a WKBJ procedure and direct numerical evaluation which are found to be in good agreement for regimes of interest. Finally we use our formalism to determine the evolution time scales for an object, in an orbit of small eccentricity, around a Sun-like star in which the tidal response is assumed to occur. Systems with either no rotation or synchronous rotation are considered. Only rotationally modified gravity modes are taken into account under the assumption that wave dissipation occurs close to the stellar centre.

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arXiv2011

Outward migration of a super-Earth in a disc with outward propagating density waves excited by a giant planet

In this paper we consider a new mechanism for stopping the inward migration of a low-mass planet embedded in a gaseous protoplanetary disc. It operates when a low-mass planet (for example a super-Earth), encounters outgoing density waves excited by another source in the disc. This source could be a gas giant in an orbit interior to that of the low-mass planet. As the super-Earth passes through the wave field, angular momentum is transferred to the disc material and then communicated to the planet through coorbital dynamics, with the consequence that its inward migration can be halted or even reversed. We illustrate how the mechanism we consider works in a variety of different physical conditions employing global two-dimensional hydrodynamical calculations. We confirm our results by performing local shearing box simulations in which the super-Earth interacts with density waves excited by an independent harmonically varying potential. Finally, we discuss the constraints arising from the process considered here, on formation scenarios for systems containing a giant planet and lower mass planet in an outer orbit with a 2:1 commensurability such as GJ876.

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arXiv2011

Tidal interactions in multi-planet systems

We study systems of close orbiting planets evolving under the influence of tidal circularization. It is supposed that a commensurability forms through the action of disk induced migration and orbital circularization. After the system enters an inner cavity or the disk disperses the evolution continues under the influence of tides due to the central star which induce orbital circularization. We derive approximate analytic models that describe the evolution away from a general first order resonance that results from tidal circularization in a two planet system and which can be shown to be a direct consequence of the conservation of energy and angular momentum. We consider the situation when the system is initially very close to resonance and also when the system is between resonances. We also perform numerical simulations which confirm these models and then apply them to two and four planet systems chosen to have parameters related to the GJ581 and HD10180 systems. We also estimate the tidal dissipation rates through effective quality factors that could result in evolution to observed period ratios within the lifetimes of the systems. Thus the survival of, or degree of departure from, close commensurabilities in observed systems may be indicative of the effectiveness of tidal disipation, a feature which in turn may be related to the internal structure of the planets involved.

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arXiv2011

Close encounters of a rotating star with planets in parabolic orbits of varying inclination and the formation of Hot Jupiters

(abbreviated) We extend the theory of close encounters of a planet on a parabolic orbit with a star to include the effects of tides induced on the central rotating star. Orbits with arbitrary inclination to the stellar rotation axis are considered. We obtain results both from an analytic treatment and numerical one that are in satisfactory agreement. These results are applied to the initial phase of the tidal circularisation problem. We find that both tides induced in the star and planet can lead to a significant decrease of the orbital semi-major axis for orbits having periastron distances smaller than 5-6 stellar radii (corresponding to periods $\sim 4-5$ days after the circularisation has been completed) with tides in the star being much stronger for retrograde orbits compared to prograde orbits. We use the simple Skumanich law for the stellar rotation with its rotational period equal to one month at the age of 5Gyr. The strength of tidal interactions is characterised by circularisation time scale, $t_{ev}$ defined as a time scale of evolution of the planet's semi-major axis due to tides considered as a function of orbital period $P_{obs}$ after the process of tidal circularisation has been completed. We find that the ratio of the initial circularisation time scales corresponding to prograde and retrograde orbits is of order 1.5-2 for a planet of one Jupiter mass and $P_{obs}\sim $ four days. It grows with the mass of the planet, being of order five for a five Jupiter mass planet with the same $P_{orb}$. Thus, the effect of stellar rotation may provide a bias in the formation of planetary systems having planets on close orbits around their host stars, as a consequence of planet-planet scattering, favouring systems with retrograde orbits. The results may also be applied to the problem of tidal capture of stars in young stellar clusters.

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arXiv2010

Vortex migration in protoplanetary disks

We consider the radial migration of vortices in two-dimensional isothermal gaseous disks. We find that a vortex core, orbiting at the local gas velocity, induces velocity perturbations that propagate away from the vortex as density waves. The resulting spiral wave pattern is reminiscent of an embedded planet. There are two main causes for asymmetries in these wakes: geometrical effects tend to favor the outer wave, while a radial vortensity gradient leads to an asymmetric vortex core, which favors the wave at the side that has the lowest density. In the case of asymmetric waves, which we always find except for a disk of constant pressure, there is a net exchange of angular momentum between the vortex and the surrounding disk, which leads to orbital migration of the vortex. Numerical hydrodynamical simulations show that this migration can be very rapid, on a time scale of a few thousand orbits, for vortices with a size comparable to the scale height of the disk. We discuss the possible effects of vortex migration on planet formation scenarios.

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arXiv2010

Migration of a moonlet in a ring of solid particles : Theory and application to Saturn's propellers

Hundred meter sized objects have been identified by the Cassini spacecraft in Saturn's A ring through the so-called "propeller" features they create in the ring. These moonlets should migrate, due to their gravitational interaction with the ring ; in fact, some orbital variation have been detected. The standard theory of type I migration of planets in protoplanetary disks can't be applied to the ring system, as it is pressureless. Thus, we compute the differential torque felt by a moonlet embedded in a two-dimensional disk of solid particles, with flat surface density profile, both analytically and numerically. We find that the corresponding migration rate is too small to explain the observed variations of the propeller's orbit in Saturn's A-ring. However, local density fluctuations (due to gravity wakes in the marginally gravitationally stable A-ring) may exert a stochastic torque on a moonlet. Our simulations show that this torque can be large enough to account for the observations, depending on the parameters of the rings. We find that on time scales of several years the migration of propellers is likely to be dominated by stochastic effects (while the former, non-stochastic migration dominates after ~ 10^{4-5} years). In that case, the migration rates provided by observations so far suggests that the surface density of the A ring should be of the order of 700 kg/m^2. The age of the propellers shouldn't exceed 1 to 100 million years, depending on the dominant migration regime.

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arXiv2010

Inertial waves in rotating bodies: a WKBJ formalism for inertial modes and a comparison with numerical results

(abbreviated) In this paper we develop a consistent WKBJ formalism, together with a formal first order perturbation theory for calculating the properties of the inertial modes of a uniformly rotating coreless body (modelled as a polytrope and referred hereafter to as a planet) under the assumption of a spherically symmetric structure. The eigenfrequencies, spatial form of the associated eigenfunctions and other properties we obtained analytically using the WKBJ eigenfunctions are in good agreement with corresponding results obtained by numerical means for a variety of planet models even for global modes with a large scale distribution of perturbed quantities. This indicates that even though they are embedded in a dense spectrum, such modes can be identified and followed as model parameters changed and that first order perturbation theory can be applied. This is used to estimate corrections to the eigenfrequencies as a consequence of the anelastic approximation, which we argue here to be small when the rotation frequency is small. These are compared with simulation results in an accompanying paper with a good agreement between theoretical and numerical results. The results reported here may provide a basis of theoretical investigations of inertial waves in many astrophysical and other applications, where a rotating body can be modelled as a uniformly rotating barotropic object, for which the density has, close to its surface, an approximately power law dependence on distance from the surface.

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arXiv2010

Dynamic tides in rotating objects: a numerical investigation of inertial waves in fully convective or barotropic stars and planets

We perform direct numerical simulations of the tidal encounter of a rotating planet on a highly eccentric or parabolic orbit about a central star formulated as an initial value problem. This approach enables us to extend previous work of Ivanov & Papaloizou to consider planet models with solid cores and to avoid making an anelastic approximation. We obtain a power spectrum of the tidal response of coreless models which enables global inertial modes to be identified. Their frequencies are found to be in good agreement with those obtained using either a WKBJ approach or the anelastic spectral approach adopted in previous work for small planet rotation rates. We also find that the dependence of the normal mode frequencies on the planet angular velocity in case of higher rotation rates can for the most part be understood by applying first order perturbation theory to the anelastic modes. We calculate the energy and angular momentum exchanged as a result of the tidal encounter and for coreless models again find good agreement with results obtained using either the anelastic spectral method. Models with a solid core showed evidence of the emission of shear layers at critical latitudes and possibly wave attractors after the encounter but the total energy exchanged during the encounter did not differ dramatically from the coreless case as long as the ratio of the core radius to the total radius was less than 50%, there being hardly any difference at all when this ratio was less than 25% of the total radius. We give a physical and mathematical interpretation of this result. Finally we are able to validate the use of the anelastic approximation for both the work presented here and our previous work which led to estimates of circularisation rates for planets in highly eccentric orbits.

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arXiv2010

The subcritical baroclinic instability in local accretion disc models

(abridged) Aims: We present new results exhibiting a subcritical baroclinic instability (SBI) in local shearing box models. We describe the 2D and 3D behaviour of this instability using numerical simulations and we present a simple analytical model describing the underlying physical process. Results: A subcritical baroclinic instability is observed in flows stable for the Solberg-Hoiland criterion using local simulations. This instability is found to be a nonlinear (or subcritical) instability, which cannot be described by ordinary linear approaches. It requires a radial entropy gradient weakly unstable for the Schwartzchild criterion and a strong thermal diffusivity (or equivalently a short cooling time). In compressible simulations, the instability produces density waves which transport angular momentum outward with typically alpha<3e-3, the exact value depending on the background temperature profile. Finally, the instability survives in 3D, vortex cores becoming turbulent due to parametric instabilities. Conclusions: The subcritical baroclinic instability is a robust phenomenon, which can be captured using local simulations. The instability survives in 3D thanks to a balance between the 2D SBI and 3D parametric instabilities. Finally, this instability can lead to a weak outward transport of angular momentum, due to the generation of density waves by the vortices.

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arXiv2009

The excitation of spiral density waves through turbulent fluctuations in accretion discs I: WKBJ theory

We study and elucidate the mechanism of spiral density wave excitation in a differentially rotating turbulent flow. We formulate a set of wave equations with sources that are only non-zero in the presence of turbulent fluctuations. We solve these in a shearing box domain using a WKBJ method. It is found that, for a particular azimuthal wave length, the wave excitation occurs through a sequence of regularly spaced swings during which the wave changes from leading to trailing form. This is a generic process that is expected to occur in shearing discs with turbulence. Trailing waves of equal amplitude propagating in opposite directions are produced, both of which produce an outward angular momentum flux that we give expressions for as functions of the disc parameters and azimuthal wave length. By solving the wave amplitude equations numerically we justify the WKBJ approach for a Keplerian rotation law for all parameter regimes of interest. In order to quantify the wave excitation completely the important wave source terms need to be specified. Assuming conditions of weak nonlinearity, these can be identified and are associated with a quantity related to the potential vorticity, being the only survivors in the linear regime. Under the additional assumption that the source has a flat power spectrum at long azimuthal wave lengths, the optimal azimuthal wave length produced is found to be determined solely by the WKBJ response and is estimated to be 2 pi H, with H being the nominal disc scale height.

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arXiv2009

The excitation of spiral density waves through turbulent fluctuations in accretion discs II: Numerical Simulations with MRI driven turbulence

We present fully three-dimensional local MRI simulations with the object of studying the excitation of non-axisymmetric spiral density waves that are observed to always be present in such simulations. They are potentially important for affecting protoplanetary migration through the action of associated stochastic gravitational forces and producing residual transport in MHD inactive regions. The simulations we perform are with zero net flux and produce mean activity levels of alpha ~ 0.005. We reveal the nature of the mechanism responsible for the excitation of these waves by determining the time dependent evolution of the Fourier transforms of the participating state variables. The dominant waves are found to have no vertical structure and to be excited during periodically repeating swings in which they change from leading to trailing. The initial phase of the evolution of such a swing is found to be in excellent agreement with that expected from the WKBJ theory developed in a preceding paper by Heinemann & Papaloizou. We demonstrate that the important source terms causing excitation of the waves are related to a quantity that reduces to the potential vorticity for small perturbations from the background state with no vertical dependence. We find that the root mean square density fluctuations associated with the waves are positively correlated with both this quantity and the general level of hydromagnetic turbulence. The mean angular momentum transport associated with spiral density waves generated in our simulations is estimated to be a significant fraction of that associated with the turbulent Reynolds stress.

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arXiv2009

On the Stability of Elliptical Vortices in Accretion Discs

(Abriged) The existence of large-scale and long-lived 2D vortices in accretion discs has been debated for more than a decade. They appear spontaneously in several 2D disc simulations and they are known to accelerate planetesimal formation through a dust trapping process. However, the issue of the stability of these structures to the imposition of 3D disturbances is still not fully understood, and it casts doubts on their long term survival. Aim: We present new results on the 3D stability of elliptical vortices embedded in accretion discs, based on a linear analysis and several non-linear simulations. Methods: We derive the linearised equations governing the 3D perturbations in the core of an elliptical vortex, and we show that they can be reduced to a Floquet problem. We solve this problem numerically in the astrophysical regime and we present several analytical limits for which the mechanism responsible for the instability can be explained. Finally, we compare the results of the linear analysis to some high resolution simulations. Results: We show that most anticyclonic vortices are unstable due to a resonance between the turnover time and the local epicyclic oscillation period. In addition, we demonstrate that a strong vertical stratification does not create any additional stable domain of aspect ratio, but it significantly reduces growth rates for relatively weak (and therefore elongated) vortices. Conclusions: Elliptical vortices are always unstable, whatever the horizontal or vertical aspect-ratio is. The instability can however be weak and is often found at small scales, making it difficult to detect in low-order finite-difference simulations.

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arXiv2009

On corotation torques, horseshoe drag and the possibility of sustained stalled or outward protoplanetary migration

We study the torque on low mass protoplanets on fixed circular orbits, embedded in a protoplanetary disc in the isothermal limit. For low mass protoplanets and large viscosity the corotation torque behaves as expected from linear theory. However, when the viscosity becomes small enough to enable horseshoe turns to occur, the linear corotation torque exists only temporarily after insertion of a planet into the disc, being replaced by the horseshoe drag first discussed by Ward. This happens after a time that is equal to the horseshoe libration period reduced by a factor amounting to about twice the disc aspect ratio. This torque scales with the radial gradient of specific vorticity, as does the linear torque, but we find it to be many times larger. If the viscosity is large enough for viscous diffusion across the coorbital region to occur within a libration period, we find that the horseshoe drag may be sustained. If not, the corotation torque saturates leaving only the linear Lindblad torques. As the magnitude of the non linear coorbital torque (horseshoe drag) is always found to be larger than the linear torque, we find that the sign of the total torque may change even for for mildly positive surface density gradients. In combination with a kinematic viscosity large enough to keep the torque from saturating, strong sustained deviations from linear theory and outward or stalled migration may occur in such cases (abridged).

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arXiv2009

On the width and shape of the corotation region for low-mass planets

We study the coorbital flow for embedded, low mass planets. We provide a simple semi-analytic model for the corotation region, which is subsequently compared to high resolution numerical simulations. The model is used to derive an expression for the half-width of the horseshoe region, x_s, which in the limit of zero softening is given by x_s/r_p = 1.68(q/h)^(1/2), where q is the planet to central star mass ratio, h is the disc aspect ratio and r_p the orbital radius. This is in very good agreement with the same quantity measured from simulations. This result is used to show that horseshoe drag is about an order of magnitude larger than the linear corotation torque in the zero softening limit. Thus the horseshoe drag, the sign of which depends on the gradient of specific vorticity, is important for estimates of the total torque acting on the planet. We further show that phenomena, such as the Lindblad wakes, with a radial separation from corotation of ~ a pressure scale height H can affect x_s, even though for low-mass planets x_s << H. The effect is to distort streamlines and to reduce x_s through the action of a back pressure. This effect is reduced for smaller gravitational softening parameters and planets of higher mass, for which x_s becomes comparable to H.

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arXiv2008

On disc protoplanet interactions in a non-barotropic disc with thermal diffusion

We study the disc planet interactions of low-mass protoplanets embedded in a circumstellar disc. We extend the standard theory of planet migration from the usual locally isothermal assumption to include non-barotropic effects, focusing on the validity of linear theory. We compared solutions of the linear equations with results from non-linear hydrodynamic simulations, where in both cases we adopted a background entropy gradient and solved the energy equation. We show that the migration behavior of embedded planets depends critically on the background radial entropy gradient in the disc. The presence of such a gradient not only changes the corotation torque on the planet, but also always guarantees a departure from linear behavior, which gives a singular density response at corotation, in the absence of thermal or viscous diffusion. A negative entropy gradient tends to give rise to positive, non-linear corotation torques apparently produced as material executes horseshoe turns at approximately constant entropy. These torques have no counterpart in linear theory, but can be strong enough to push the planet outwards until saturation starts to occur after a horseshoe libration period. Increased thermal diffusion acts to reduce these non-linear torques, but, at the same time, it can help to prevent their saturation. In combination with a small kinematic viscosity that is able to maintain a smooth density profile the positive torque could be sustained.

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