Global gravitational instabilities in discs with infall

• Published in: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Vol. 413; no. 1; pp. 423 - 433
• Main Authors: Harsono, D., Alexander, R. D., Levin, Y.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.05.2011; Wiley-Blackwell; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: accretion; accretion discs; Accretion disks; accretion, accretion discs; Astronomy; Astrophysics; Earth, ocean, space; Exact sciences and technology; Gravity; hydrodynamics; instabilities; methods: numerical; Stars & galaxies; stars: formation; stars: formation; hydrodynamics; methods: numerical; accretion, accretion discs; instabilities; Angular momentum transfer; Torque; Accretion; Shear; Digital simulation; accretion discs; Central stars; Numerical method; Accretion disks; Gaseous shell; Young stars; Star formation; Gravitational instability

Gravitational instability plays an important role in driving gas accretion in massive protostellar discs. Particularly strong is the global gravitational instability which arises when the disc mass is of order 0.1 of the mass of the central star and has a characteristic spatial scale much greater th...