The Origin and Formation of the Circumstellar Disk

TL;DR

This paper investigates the formation and evolution of circumstellar disks during molecular cloud collapse, revealing two formation pathways and emphasizing the early presence of massive, Keplerian disks before protostar formation.

Contribution

It provides a detailed simulation-based analysis of circumstellar disk formation, highlighting the role of initial cloud rotation and the existence of massive disks prior to protostar formation.

Findings

Two pathways for disk formation depending on initial cloud rotation.

Massive Keplerian disks exist before protostar formation.

Disks are potential sites for binary and planet formation.

Abstract

The formation and evolution of the circumstellar disk in the collapsing molecular cloud is investigated from the prestellar stage resolving both the molecular cloud core and the protostar itself. In the collapsing cloud, the first adiabatic core appears prior to the protostar formation. Reflecting the thermodynamics of the collapsing gas, the first core is much more massive than the protostar. When the molecular cloud has no angular momentum, the first core falls onto the protostar and disappears a few years after the protostar formation. On the other hand, when the molecular cloud has an angular momentum, the first core does not disappear even after the protostar formation, and directly evolves into the circumstellar disk with a Keplerian rotation. There are two paths for the formation of the circumstellar disk. When the initial cloud has a considerably small rotational energy, two nested disks appear just after the protostar formation. During the early main accretion phase, the inner disk increases its size and merges with the outer disk (i.e. first core) to form a single circumstellar disk with a Keplerian rotation. On the other hand, when the molecular cloud has a rotational energy comparable to observations, a single Keplerian disk that corresponds to the first core already exists prior to the protostar formation. In such a cloud, the first core density gradually increases, maintaining the Keplerian rotation and forms the protostar inside it. Thus, the protostar is born in the Keplerian disk. In other words, a massive disk already exists before the protostar formation. In each case, the protostar at its formation is already surrounded by a massive circumstellar disk. The circumstellar disk is about 10-100 times more massive than the protostar in the main accretion disk. Such disks are favourable sites for the formation of binary companions and gas-giant planets.