External Photoevaporation of the Solar Nebula II: Effects on Disk Structure and Evolution with Non-Uniform Turbulent Viscosity due to the Magnetorotational Instability

TL;DR

This paper investigates how external FUV radiation and spatially varying turbulent viscosity, driven by magnetorotational instability, influence the structure, evolution, and potential planet formation processes in protoplanetary disks.

Contribution

It introduces a model linking turbulence viscosity to ionization levels, revealing significant effects of external photoevaporation and variable alpha on disk morphology and mass flow.

Findings

Inner disk remains relatively unchanged, while outer disk spreads rapidly.

Surface density profile becomes steeper (slope 2-5) in the 5-30 AU region.

Gas flow can reverse, moving outward from 3 AU due to combined effects.

Abstract

The structure and evolution of protoplanetary disks, especially the radial flows of gas through them, are sensitive to a number of factors. One that has been considered only occasionally in the literature is external photoevaporation by far-ultraviolet (FUV) radiation from nearby, massive stars, despite the fact that nearly half of all disks will experience photoevaporation. Another effect apparently not considered in the literature is a spatially and temporally varying value of $\alpha$ in the disk [where the turbulent viscosity $\nu$ is $\alpha$ times the sound speed C times the disk scale height H]. Here we use the formulation of Bai \& Stone (2011) to relate $\alpha$ to the ionization fraction in the disk, assuming turbulent transport of angular momentum is due to the magnetorotational instability. We find that disk evolution is most sensitive to the surface area of dust. Typically $\alpha \lesssim 10^{-5}$ in the inner disk ($< 2$ AU), rising to $\sim 10^{-1}$ beyond 20 AU. This drastically alters the structure of the disk and the flow of mass through it: while the outer disk rapidly viscously spreads, the inner disk hardly evolves; this leads to a steep surface density profile with a slope < p > $\approx$ 2 - 5 in the 5-30 AU region) that is made steeper by external photoevaporation. We also find that the combination of variable $\alpha$ and external photoevaporation eventually causes gas as close as 3 AU, previously accreting inward, to be drawn outward to the photoevaporated outer edge of the disk. These effects have drastic consequences for planet formation and volatile transport in protoplanetary disks.