Formation Process of the Circumstellar Disk: Long-term Simulations in the Main Accretion Phase of Star Formation

TL;DR

This study uses long-term 3D hydrodynamic simulations to explore the formation and evolution of circumstellar disks during star formation, revealing early disk formation, potential for planet or brown dwarf formation, and variable accretion rates.

Contribution

It demonstrates that circumstellar disks form before protostars and can be massive enough to fragment, which is a novel insight into early star and planet formation processes.

Findings

Circumstellar disks form prior to protostar formation.

Disks are initially thick and supported by thermal pressure, then become centrifugally supported.

Disks can be massive enough to fragment and form planets or brown dwarfs.

Abstract

The formation and evolution of the circumstellar disk in unmagnetized molecular clouds is investigated using three-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations from the prestellar core until the end of the main accretion phase. In collapsing clouds, the first (adiabatic) core with a size of ~10AU forms prior to the formation of the protostar. At its formation, the first core has a thick disk-like structure, and is mainly supported by the thermal pressure. After the protostar formation, it decreases the thickness gradually, and becomes supported by the centrifugal force. We found that the first core is a precursor of the circumstellar disk. This indicates that the circumstellar disk is formed before the protostar formation with a size of ~10AU, which means that no protoplanetary disk smaller than <10AU exists. Reflecting the thermodynamics of the collapsing gas, at the protostar formation epoch, the circumstellar disk has a mass of ~0.01-0.1 solar mass, while the protostar has a mass of ~10^-3 solar mass. Thus, just after the protostar formation, the circumstellar disk is about 10-100 times more massive than the protostar. Even in the main accretion phase that lasts for ~10^5yr, the circumstellar disk mass dominates the protostellar mass. Such a massive disk is unstable to gravitational instability, and tends to show fragmentation. Our calculations indicate that the planet or brown-dwarf mass object may form in the circumstellar disk in the main accretion phase. In addition, the mass accretion rate onto the protostar shows strong time variability that is caused by the perturbation of proto-planets and/or the spiral arms in the circumstellar disk. Such variability provides a useful signature for detecting the planet-sized companion in the circumstellar disk around very young protostars.