arXiv subjects

Zhaohuan Zhu

Publications and source records attributed to Zhaohuan Zhu.

At least 181 records · Page 10Linked to original sources

arXiv2016

A Dwarf Protoplanetary Disk around XZ Tau B

We report the discovery of a dwarf protoplanetary disk around the star XZ Tau B that shows all the features of a classical transitional disk but on a much smaller scale. The disk has been imaged with the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA), revealing that its dust emission has a quite small radius of ~ 3.4 au and presents a central cavity of ~ 1.3 au in radius that we attribute to clearing by a compact system of orbiting (proto)planets. Given the very small radii involved, evolution is expected to be much faster in this disk (observable changes in a few months) than in classical disks (observable changes requiring decades) and easy to monitor with observations in the near future. From our modeling we estimate that the mass of the disk is large enough to form a compact planetary system.

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arXiv2016

Global MHD Simulations of Accretion Disks in Cataclysmic Variables (CVs): I. The Importance of Spiral Shocks

We present results from the first global 3D MHD simulations of accretion disks in Cataclysmic Variable (CV) systems in order to investigate the relative importance of angular momentum transport via turbulence driven by the magnetorotational instability (MRI) compared to that driven by spiral shock waves. Remarkably, we find that even with vigorous MRI turbulence, spiral shocks are an important component to the overall angular momentum budget, at least when temperatures in the disk are high (so that Mach numbers are low). In order to understand the excitation, propagation, and damping of spiral density waves in our simulations more carefully, we perform a series of 2D global hydrodynamical simulations with various equation of states and both with and without mass inflow via the Lagrangian point (L1). Compared with previous similar studies, we find the following new results. 1) Linear wave dispersion relation fits the pitch angles of spiral density waves very well. 2) We demonstrate explicitly that mass accretion is driven by the deposition of negative angular momentum carried by the waves when they dissipate in shocks. 3) Using Reynolds stress scaled by gas pressure to represent the effective angular momentum transport rate alpha_{eff} is not accurate when mass accretion is driven by non-axisymmetric shocks. 4) Using the mass accretion rate measured in our simulations to directly measure alpha defined in standard thin-disk theory, we find 0.02 < alpha_{eff} < 0.05 for CV disks, consistent with observed values in quiescent states of dwarf novae (DNe). In this regime the disk may be too cool and neutral for the MRI to operate and spiral shocks are a possible accretion mechanism. However, we caution that our simulations use unrealistically low Mach numbers in this regime, and therefore future models with more realistic thermodynamics and non-ideal MHD are warranted.

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arXiv2016

Ringed Substructure and a Gap at 1 AU in the Nearest Protoplanetary Disk

We present long-baseline Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) observations of the 870 micron continuum emission from the nearest gas-rich protoplanetary disk, around TW Hya, that trace millimeter-sized particles down to spatial scales as small as 1 AU (20 mas). These data reveal a series of concentric ring-shaped substructures in the form of bright zones and narrow dark annuli (1-6 AU) with modest contrasts (5-30%). We associate these features with concentrations of solids that have had their inward radial drift slowed or stopped, presumably at local gas pressure maxima. No significant non-axisymmetric structures are detected. Some of the observed features occur near temperatures that may be associated with the condensation fronts of major volatile species, but the relatively small brightness contrasts may also be a consequence of magnetized disk evolution (the so-called zonal flows). Other features, particularly a narrow dark annulus located only 1 AU from the star, could indicate interactions between the disk and young planets. These data signal that ordered substructures on ~AU scales can be common, fundamental factors in disk evolution, and that high resolution microwave imaging can help characterize them during the epoch of planet formation.

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arXiv2016

Dust dynamics in 2D gravito-turbulent disks

The dynamics of solid bodies in protoplanetary disks are subject to the properties of any underlying gas turbulence. Turbulence driven by disk self-gravity shows features distinct from those driven by the magnetorotational instability (MRI). We study the dynamics of solids in gravito-turbulent disks with two-dimensional (in the disk plane), hybrid (particle and gas) simulations. Gravito-turbulent disks can exhibit stronger gravitational stirring than MRI-active disks, resulting in greater radial diffusion and larger eccentricities and relative speeds for large particles (those with dimensionless stopping times $t_{stop} Ω> 1$, where $Ω$ is the orbital frequency). The agglomeration of large particles into planetesimals by pairwise collisions is therefore disfavored in gravito-turbulent disks. However, the relative speeds of intermediate-size particles $t_{stop} Ω\sim 1$ are significantly reduced as such particles are collected by gas drag and gas gravity into coherent filament-like structures with densities high enough to trigger gravitational collapse. First-generation planetesimals may form via gravitational instability of dust in marginally gravitationally unstable gas disks.

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arXiv2016

The VLA view of the HL Tau Disk - Disk Mass, Grain Evolution, and Early Planet Formation

The first long-baseline ALMA campaign resolved the disk around the young star HL Tau into a number of axisymmetric bright and dark rings. Despite the very young age of HL Tau these structures have been interpreted as signatures for the presence of (proto)planets. The ALMA images triggered numerous theoretical studies based on disk-planet interactions, magnetically driven disk structures, and grain evolution. Of special interest are the inner parts of disks, where terrestrial planets are expected to form. However, the emission from these regions in HL Tau turned out to be optically thick at all ALMA wavelengths, preventing the derivation of surface density profiles and grain size distributions. Here, we present the most sensitive images of HL Tau obtained to date with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array at 7.0 mm wavelength with a spatial resolution comparable to the ALMA images. At this long wavelength the dust emission from HL Tau is optically thin, allowing a comprehensive study of the inner disk. We obtain a total disk dust mass of 0.001 - 0.003 Msun, depending on the assumed opacity and disk temperature. Our optically thin data also indicate fast grain growth, fragmentation, and formation of dense clumps in the inner densest parts of the disk. Our results suggest that the HL Tau disk may be actually in a very early stage of planetary formation, with planets not already formed in the gaps but in the process of future formation in the bright rings.

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arXiv2016

Planetary Signatures in the SAO 206462 (HD 135344B) Disk: A Spiral Arm Passing Through Vortex?

The disk surrounding SAO 206462, an 8 Myr-old Herbig Ae star, has recently been reported to exhibit spiral arms, an asymmetric dust continuum, and a dust-depleted inner cavity. By carrying out two-dimensional, two-fluid hydrodynamic calculations, we find that a planetary-mass companion located at the outer disk could be responsible for these observed structures. In this model, the planet excites primary and secondary arms interior to its orbit. It also carves a gap and generates a local pressure bump at the inner gap edge where a vortex forms through Rossby wave instability. The vortex traps radially drifting dust particles, forming a dust-depleted cavity in the inner disk. We propose that the vortex is responsible for the brightest southwestern peak seen in infrared scattered light and sub-millimeter dust continuum emission. In particular, it is possible that the scattered light is boosted as one of the spiral arms passes through the high density vortex region, although the vortex alone may be able to explain the peak. We suggest that a planetary companion with a mass of 10-15 M_J is orbiting SAO 206462 at 100-120 au. Monitoring of the brightest peak over the next few years will help reveal its origin because the spiral arms and vortex will show distinguishable displacement.

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arXiv2016

Gas and dust hydrodynamical simulations of massive lopsided transition discs - I. Gas distribution

Motivated by lopsided structures observed in some massive transition discs, we have carried out 2D numerical simulations to study vortex structure in massive discs, including the effects of disc self-gravity and the indirect force which is due to the displacement of the central star from the barycenter of the system by the lopsided structure. When only the indirect force is included, we confirm the finding by Mittal & Chiang (2015) that the vortex becomes stronger and can be more than two pressure scale heights wide, as long as the disc-to-star mass ratio is >1%. Such wide vortices can excite strong density waves in the disc and therefore migrate inwards rapidly. However, when disc self-gravity is also considered in simulations, self-gravity plays a more prominent role on the vortex structure. We confirm that when the disc Toomre Q parameter is smaller than pi/(2h), where h is the disc's aspect ratio, the vortices are significantly weakened and their inward migration slows down dramatically. Most importantly, when the disc is massive enough (e.g. Q~3), we find that the lopsided gas structure orbits around the star at a speed significantly slower than the local Keplerian speed. This sub-Keplerian pattern speed can lead to the concentration of dust particles at a radius beyond the lopsided gas structure (as shown in Paper II). Overall, disc self-gravity regulates the vortex structure in massive discs and the radial shift between the gas and dust distributions in vortices within massive discs may be probed by future observations.

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arXiv2015

An M Dwarf Companion and Its Induced Spiral Arms in the HD 100453 Protoplanetary Disk

Recent VLT/SPHERE near-infrared imaging observations revealed two spiral arms with a near m=2 rotational symmetry in the protoplanetary disk around the ~1.7 solar mass Herbig star HD 100453. A ~0.3 solar mass M dwarf companion, HD 100453 B, was also identified at a projected separation of 120 AU from the primary. In this Letter, we carry out hydrodynamic and radiative transfer simulations to examine the scattered light morphology of the HD 100453 disk as perturbed by the companion on a circular and coplanar orbit. We find that the companion truncates the disk at ~45 AU in scattered light images, and excites two spiral arms in the remaining (circumprimary) disk with a near m=2 rotational symmetry. Both the truncated disk size and the morphology of the spirals are in excellent agreement with the SPHERE observations at Y , J, H, and K1-bands, suggesting that the M dwarf companion is indeed responsible for the observed double-spiral-arm pattern. Our model suggests that the disk is close to face on (inclination angle ~5 degree), and that the entire disk-companion system rotates counterclockwise on the sky. The HD 100453 observations, along with our modeling work, demonstrate that double spiral arm patterns in near-infrared scattered light images can be generically produced by companions, and support future observations to identify the companions responsible for the arms observed in the MWC 758 and SAO 206462 systems.

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arXiv2015

Gas and dust hydrodynamical simulations of massive lopsided transition discs - II. Dust concentration

We investigate the dynamics of large dust grains in massive lopsided transition discs via 2D hydrodynamical simulations including both gas and dust. Our simulations adopt a ring-like gas density profile that becomes unstable against the Rossby-wave instability and forms a large crescent-shaped vortex. When gas self-gravity is discarded, but the indirect force from the displacement of the star by the vortex is included, we confirm that dust grains with stopping times of order the orbital time, which should be typically a few centimetres in size, are trapped ahead of the vortex in the azimuthal direction, while the smallest and largest grains concentrate towards the vortex centre. We obtain maximum shift angles of about 25 degrees. Gas self-gravity accentuates the concentration differences between small and large grains. At low to moderate disc masses, the larger the grains, the farther they are trapped ahead of the vortex. Shift angles up to 90 degrees are reached for 10 cm-sized grains, and we show that such large offsets can produce a double-peaked continuum emission observable at mm/cm wavelengths. This behaviour comes about because the large grains undergo horseshoe U-turns relative to the vortex due to the vortex's gravity. At large disc masses, since the vortex's pattern frequency becomes increasingly slower than Keplerian, small grains concentrate slightly beyond the vortex and large grains form generally non-axisymmetric ring-like structures around the vortex's radial location. Gas self-gravity therefore imparts distinct trapping locations for small and large dust grains which may be probed by current and future observations, and which suggest that the formation of planetesimals in vortices might be more difficult than previously thought.

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arXiv2015

Inside-Out Planet Formation. III. Planet-disk interaction at the dead zone inner boundary

The Kepler mission has discovered more than 4000 exoplanet candidates. Many are in systems with tightly packed inner planets. Inside-Out Planet Formation (IOPF) has been proposed to explain these systems. It involves sequential in situ planet formation at the local pressure maximum of a retreating dead zone inner boundary (DZIB). Pebbles accumulate at this pressure trap, which builds up a ring, and then a planet. The planet is expected to grow until it opens a gap, which helps to both truncate pebble accretion and induce DZIB retreat that sets the location of formation of the next planet. This simple scenario may be modified if the planet migrates significantly from its formation location. Thus planet-disk interactions play a crucial role in the IOPF scenario. We present numerical simulations that first assess migration of planets of various masses that are forming at the DZIB of an active accretion disk, where the effective viscosity rapidly increases in the radially inward direction. We find that the disk's torques on the planet tend to trap the planet at a location very close to the initial pressure maximum where it formed. We then study gap opening by these planets to assess at what mass a significant gap is created. Finally we present a simple model for DZIB retreat due to penetration of X-rays from the star to the disk midplane. Overall, these simulations help to quantify both the mass scale of first,"Vulcan," planet formation and the orbital separation to the location of second planet formation.

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arXiv2015

An Overview of Inside-Out Planet Formation

The Kepler-discovered Systems with Tightly-packed Inner Planets (STIPs), typically with several planets of Earth to super-Earth masses on well-aligned, sub-AU orbits may host the most common type of planets, including habitable planets, in the Galaxy. They pose a great challenge for planet formation theories, which fall into two broad classes: (1) formation further out followed by inward migration; (2) formation in situ, in the very inner regions of the protoplanetary disk. We review the pros and cons of these classes, before focusing on a new theory of sequential in situ formation from the inside-out via creation of successive gravitationally unstable rings fed from a continuous stream of small (~cm-m size) "pebbles," drifting inward via gas drag. Pebbles first collect at the pressure trap associated with the transition from a magnetorotational instability (MRI)-inactive ("dead zone") region to an inner, MRI-active zone. A pebble ring builds up that begins to dominate the local mass surface density of the disk and spawns a planet. The planet continues to grow, most likely by pebble accretion, until it becomes massive enough to isolate itself from the accretion flow via gap opening. This reduces the local gas density near the planet, leading to enhanced ionization and a retreat of the dead zone inner boundary. The process repeats with a new pebble ring gathering at the new pressure maximum associated with this boundary. We discuss the theory's predictions for planetary masses, relative mass scalings with orbital radius, and minimum orbital separations, and their comparison with observed systems. Finally, we discuss open questions, including potential causes of diversity of planetary system architectures, i.e., STIPs versus Solar System analogs.

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arXiv2015

The Structure of Spiral Shocks Excited by Planetary-mass Companions

Direct imaging observations have revealed spiral structures in protoplanetary disks. Previous studies have suggested that planet-induced spiral arms cannot explain some of these spiral patterns, due to the large pitch angle and high contrast of the spiral arms in observations. We have carried out three dimensional (3-D) hydrodynamical simulations to study spiral wakes/shocks excited by young planets. We find that, in contrast with linear theory, the pitch angle of spiral arms does depend on the planet mass, which can be explained by the non-linear density wave theory. A secondary (or even a tertiary) spiral arm, especially for inner arms, is also excited by a massive planet. With a more massive planet in the disk, the excited spiral arms have larger pitch angle and the separation between the primary and secondary arms in the azimuthal direction is also larger. We also find that although the arms in the outer disk do not exhibit much vertical motion, the inner arms have significant vertical motion, which boosts the density perturbation at the disk atmosphere. Combining hydrodynamical models with Monte-Carlo radiative transfer calculations, we find that the inner spiral arms are considerably more prominent in synthetic near-IR images using full 3-D hydrodynamical models than images based on 2-D models assuming vertical hydrostatic equilibrium, indicating the need to model observations with full 3-D hydrodynamics. Overall, companion-induced spiral arms not only pinpoint the companion's position but also provide three independent ways (pitch angle, separation between two arms, and contrast of arms) to constrain the companion's mass.

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arXiv2015

Observational Signatures of Planets in Protoplanetary Disks II: Spiral Arms Observed in Scattered Light Imaging Can be Induced by Planets

Using 3D global hydro simulations coupled with radiative transfer calculations, we study the appearance of density waves induced by giant planets in direct imaging observations at near infrared wavelengths. We find that a 6 MJ planet in a typical disk around a 1 M_sun star can produce prominent and detectable spiral arms both interior and exterior to its orbit. The inner arms have (1) two well separated arms in roughly m=2 symmetry, (2) exhibit ~10-15 degrees pitch angles, (3) ~180-270 degrees extension in the azimuthal direction, and (4) ~150% surface brightness enhancement, all broadly consistent with observed spiral arms in the SAO 206462 and MWC 758 systems. The outer arms cannot explain observations as they are too tightly wound given typical disk scale height. We confirm previous results that the outer density waves excited by a 1 MJ planet exhibit low contrast in the IR and are practically not detectable. We also find that 3D effects of the waves are important. Compared to isothermal models, density waves in adiabatic disks exhibit weaker contrast in surface density but stronger contrast in scattered light images, due to a more pronounced vertical structure in the former caused by shock heating. To drive observed pairs of arms with an external companion on a circular orbit, a massive planet, possibly a brown dwarf, is needed at around [r~0.7", PA~10 degrees] (position angle PA from north to east) in SAO 206462 and [r~0.6", PA~10 degrees] in MWC 758. Their existence may be confirmed by direct imaging planet searches.

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arXiv2015

Observational Signatures of Planets in Protoplanetary Disks I: Gaps Opened by Single and Multiple Young Planets in Disks

It has been suggested that the gaps and cavities recently discovered in transitional disks are opened by planets. To explore this scenario, we combine two-dimensional two fluid (gas + particle) hydrodynamical calculations with three-dimensional Monte Carlo Radiative Transfer simulations, and study the observational signatures of gaps opened by one or several planets, making qualitative comparisons with observations. We find that a single planet as small as 0.2 MJ can produce a deep gap at millimeter (mm) wavelengths and almost no features at near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths, while multiple planets can open up a few *10 AU wide common gap at both wavelengths. Both the contrast ratio of the gaps and the wavelength dependence of the gap sizes are broadly consistent with data. We also confirm previous results that NIR gap sizes may be smaller than mm gap sizes due to dust-gas coupling and radiative transfer effects. When viewed at a moderate inclination angle, a physically circular on-centered gap could appear to be off-centered from the star due to shadowing. Planet-induced spiral arms are more apparent at NIR than at mm wavelengths. Overall, our results suggest that the planet-opening-gap scenario is a promising way to explain the origin of the transitional disks. Finally, inspired by the recent ALMA release of the image of the HL Tau disk, we show that multiple narrow gaps, well separated by bright rings, can be opened by 0.2 MJ planets soon after their formation in a relatively massive disk.

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arXiv2015

Survival and Structure of Dusty Vortices in Protoplanetary Discs

We have studied the impact of dust feedback on the survival and structure of vortices in protoplanetary discs using 2-D shearing box simulations with Lagrangian dust particles. We consider dust with a variety of sizes (stopping time $t_s = 10^{-2}Ω^{-1} - 10^{2}Ω^{-1}$, from fully coupled with the gas to the decoupling limit. We find that a vortex is destroyed by dust feedback when the total dust-to-gas mass ratio within the vortex is larger than 30-50%, independent of the dust size. The dust distribution can still be asymmetric in some cases after the vortex has been destroyed. With smaller amounts of dust, a vortex can survive for at least 100 orbits, and the maximum dust surface density within the vortex can be more than 100 times larger than the gas surface density, potentially facilitating planetesimal formation. On the other hand, in these stable vortices, small ($t_s < Ω^{-1}$) and large ($t_s > Ω^{-1}$) dust grains concentrate differently and affect the gas dynamics in different ways. The distribution of large dust is more elongated than that of small dust. Large dust ($t_s > Ω^{-1}$) concentrates in the centre of the vortex and feedback leads to turn-over in vorticity towards the centre, forming a quiescent region within an anticyclonic vortex. Such a turn-over is absent if the vortex is loaded with small grains. We demonstrate that, in protoplanetary discs where both large and small dust grains are present and under the right condition, the concentration of large dust towards the vortex centre can lead to a quiescent centre, repelling the small dust and forming a small dust ring around the vortex centre. Such anticorrelations between small and large dust within vortices may explain the discrepancy between ALMA and near-IR scattered light observations in the asymmetric region of transitional discs.

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arXiv2015

Are protoplanetary disks born with vortices? -- Rossby wave instability driven by protostellar infall

We carry out two-fluid, two-dimensional global hydrodynamic simulations to test whether protostellar infall can trigger Rossby wave instability (RWI) in protoplanetry disks. Our results show that infall can trigger the RWI and generate vortices near the outer edge of the mass landing on the disk (i.e. centrifugal radius). We find that the RWI is triggered under a variety of conditions, although the details depend on the disk parameters and the infall pattern. The common key feature of triggering the RWI is the steep radial gradient of the azimuthal velocity induced by the local increase in density at the outer edge of the infall region. Vortices form when the instability enters the nonlinear regime. In our standard model where self-gravity is neglected, vortices merge together to a single vortex within $\sim 20$ local orbital times, and the merged vortex survives for the remaining duration of the calculation ($> 170$ local orbital times). The vortex takes part in outward angular momentum transport, with a Reynolds stress of $\lesssim10^{-2}$. Our two-fluid calculations show that vortices efficiently trap dust particles with stopping times of the order of the orbital time, locally enhancing the dust to gas ratio for particles of the appropriate size by a factor of $\sim 40$ in our standard model. When self-gravity is considered, however, vortices tend to be impeded from merging and may eventually dissipate. We conclude it may well have that protoplanetary disks have favorable conditions for vortex formation during the protostellar infall phase, which might enhance early planetary core formation.

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arXiv2014

Dust Transport in MRI Turbulent Disks: Ideal and Non-ideal MHD with Ambipolar Diffusion

We study dust transport in turbulent protoplanetary disks using three-dimensional global unstratified magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations including Lagrangian dust particles. The turbulence is driven by the magnetorotational instability (MRI) with either ideal or non-ideal MHD that includes ambipolar diffusion (AD). In ideal MHD simulations, the surface density evolution (except for dust that drifts fastest), turbulent diffusion, and vertical scale height of dust can all be reproduced by simple one-dimensoinal and/or analytical models. However, in AD dominated simulations which simulate protoplanetary disks beyond 10s of AU, the vertical scale height of dust is larger than previously predicted. To understand this anomaly in more detail, we carry out both unstratified and stratified local shearing box simulations with Lagrangian particles, and find that turbulence in AD dominated disks has very different properties (e.g., temporal autocorrelation functions and power spectra) than turbulence in ideal MHD disks, which leads to quite different particle diffusion efficiency. For example, MRI turbulence with AD has a longer correlation time for the vertical velocity, which causes significant vertical particle diffusion and large dust scale height. In ideal MHD the Schmidt numbers ($Sc$) for radial and vertical turbulent diffusion are $Sc_{r}\sim 1$ and $Sc_{z}\gtrsim 3$, but in the AD dominated regime both $Sc_{r}$ and $Sc_{z}$ are $\lesssim 1$. Particle concentration in pressure bumps induced by MRI turbulence has also been studied. Since non-ideal MHD effects dominate most regions in protoplanetary disks, our study suggests that modeling dust transport in turbulence driven by MRI with non-ideal MHD effects is important for understanding dust transport in realistic protoplanetary disks.

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arXiv2014

Accreting Circumplanetary Disks: Observational Signatures

I calculate the spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of accreting circumplanetary disks using atmospheric radiative transfer models. Circumplanetary disks only accreting at $10^{-10} M_{\odot} yr^{-1}$ around a 1 M$_{J}$ planet can be brighter than the planet itself. A moderately accreting circumplanetary disk ($\dot{M}\sim 10^{-8}M_{\odot} yr^{-1}$; enough to form a 10 M$_{J}$ planet within 1 Myr) around a 1 M$_{J}$ planet has a maximum temperature of $\sim$2000 K, and at near-infrared wavelengths ($J$, $H$, $K$ bands), this disk is as bright as a late M-type brown dwarf or a 10 M$_{J}$ planet with a "hot start". To use direct imaging to find the accretion disks around low mass planets (e.g., 1 M$_{J}$) and distinguish them from brown dwarfs or hot high mass planets, it is crucial to obtain photometry at mid-infrared bands ($L'$, $M$, $N$ bands) because the emission from circumplanetary disks falls off more slowly towards longer wavelengths than those of brown dwarfs or planets. If young planets have strong magnetic fields ($\gtrsim$100 G), fields may truncate slowly accreting circumplanetary disks ($\dot{M}\lesssim10^{-9} M_{\odot} yr^{-1}$) and lead to magnetospheric accretion, which can provide additional accretion signatures, such as UV/optical excess from the accretion shock and line emission.

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