Three-dimensional Global Simulations of Type-II Planet–Disk Interaction with a Magnetized Disk Wind. I. Magnetic Flux Concentration and Gap Properties

• Published in: The Astrophysical journal Vol. 946; no. 1; pp. 5 - 37
• Main Authors: Aoyama, Yuhiko, Bai, Xue-Ning
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia The American Astronomical Society 01.03.2023; IOP Publishing
• Subjects: Accretion; Accretion disks; Angular momentum; Astrophysics; Corotation; Fluctuations; Hydrodynamical simulations; Magnetic fields; Magnetic flux; Magnetic properties; Magnetohydrodynamic simulation; Magnetohydrodynamic turbulence; Magnetohydrodynamical simulations; Meridional flow; Planet formation; Planetary evolution; Planetary migration; Planetary-disk interactions; Planets; Protoplanetary disks; Simulation; Stellar accretion disks; Torque; Wind
• ISSN: 0004-637X; 1538-4357
• DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/acb81f

Abstract Giant planets embedded in protoplanetary disks (PPDs) can create annulus density gaps around their orbits in the type-II regime, potentially responsible for the ubiquity of annular substructures observed in PPDs. Although a substantial amount of works studying type-II planetary migration and gap properties have been published, they have almost exclusively all been conducted under the viscous accretion disk framework. However, recent studies have established magnetized disk winds as the primary mechanism driving disk accretion and evolution, which can coexist with turbulence from the magnetorotational instability (MRI) in the outer PPDs. We conduct a series of 3D global nonideal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations of type-II planet–disk interactions applicable to the outer PPDs. Our simulations properly resolve the MRI turbulence and accommodate the MHD disk wind. We found that the planet triggers the poloidal magnetic flux concentration around its orbit. The concentrated magnetic flux strongly enhances angular momentum removal in the gap, which is along the inclined poloidal field through a strong outflow emanating from the disk surface outward to the planet gap. The resulting planet-induced gap shape is more similar to an inviscid disk, while being much deeper, which can be understood from a simple inhomogeneous wind torque prescription. The corotation region is characterized by a fast trans-sonic accretion flow that is asymmetric in azimuth about the planet and lacking the horseshoe turns, and the meridional flow is weakened. The torque acting on the planet generally drives inward migration, though the migration rate can be affected by the presence of neighboring gaps through stochastic, planet-free magnetic flux concentration.