Disk evolution and the fate of water

TL;DR

This paper reviews the theoretical and observational understanding of water distribution and evolution in protoplanetary disks, highlighting current constraints and uncertainties, especially regarding water ice and vapor near the snow line.

Contribution

It synthesizes current knowledge on water in disks, emphasizing the need for improved models and observations to better understand water's role in planet formation.

Findings

Water freezes out beyond 1-3 AU in disks.

Current observations constrain CO snow lines but not water ice sublimation zones.

Understanding of mass transport in disks is crucial for interpreting water distribution.

Abstract

We review the general theoretical concepts and observational constraints on the distribution and evolution of water vapor and ice in protoplanetary disks, with a focus on the Solar System. Water is expected to freeze out at distances greater than 1-3 AU from solar-type central stars; more precise estimates are difficult to obtain due to uncertainties in the complex processes involved in disk evolution, including dust growth, settling, and radial drift, and the level of turbulence and viscous dissipation within disks. Interferometric observations are now providing constraints on the positions of CO snow lines, but extrapolation to the unresolved regions where water ice sublimates will require much better theoretical understanding of mass and angular momentum transport in disks as well as more refined comparison of observations with sophisticated disk models.