Magnetohydrodynamics of Protostellar Disks

TL;DR

This paper reviews the magnetohydrodynamical processes in protostellar disks, emphasizing the role of magnetic fields, ionization, and nonideal effects like Ohmic dissipation and Hall forces in disk turbulence and structure.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of the MHD behavior in protostellar disks, highlighting the importance of nonideal effects and dust in magnetic coupling and turbulence development.

Findings

MRI induces turbulence in sufficiently ionized regions.

Nonideal MHD effects like Ohmic dissipation are critical in disk dynamics.

Disks may have magnetically decoupled dead zones near the midplane.

Abstract

The magnetohydrodynamical behavior (MHD) of accretion disks is reviewed. A detailed presentation of the fundamental MHD equations appropriate for protostellar disks is given. The combination of a weak (subthermal) magnetic field and Keplerian rotation is unstable to the magnetorotational instability (MRI), if the degree of ionization in the disk is sufficiently high. The MRI produces enhanced angular momentum and leads to a breakdown of laminar flow into turbulence. If the turbulent energy is dissipated locally, standard "$\alpha$" modeling should give a reasonable estimate for the disk structure. Because away from the central star the ionization fraction of protostellar disks is small, they are generally not in the regime of near perfect conductivity. Nonideal MHD effects are important. Of these, Ohmic dissipation and Hall electromotive forces are the most important. The presence of dust is also critical, as small interstellar scale grains absorb free charges that are needed for good magnetic coupling. On scales of AU's there may be a region near the disk midplane that is magnetically decoupled, a so-called {\em dead zone.} But the growth and settling of the grains as time evolves reduces their efficiency to absorb charge. With ionization provided by coronal X-rays from the central star (and possibly also cosmic rays), protostellar disks may be sufficiently magnetized throughout most of their lives to be MRI active, especially away from the disk midplane.