The early evolution of viscous and self-gravitating circumstellar disks with a dust component

TL;DR

This study numerically simulates the early evolution of viscous, self-gravitating circumstellar disks with dust components, revealing rapid dust growth, inward drift, and mass accumulation, especially in low-viscosity models, during the embedded phase.

Contribution

It introduces a numerical model that includes dust growth, fragmentation, and self-gravity in early disk evolution, highlighting the impact of viscosity on dust size and mass distribution.

Findings

Dust growth occurs rapidly in the embedded phase.

Low-viscosity disks can form meter-sized boulders in the inner regions.

Significant dust mass accumulates in the inner disk, especially in low-viscosity models.

Abstract

The long-term evolution of a circumstellar disk starting from its formation and ending in the T Tauri phase was simulated numerically with the purpose of studying the evolution of dust in the disk with distinct values of viscous \alpha-parameter and dust fragmentation velocity v_frag. We solved numerical hydrodynamics equations in the thin-disk limit, which are modified to include a dust component consisting of two parts: sub-micron-sized dust and grown dust with a maximum radius a_r. The former is strictly coupled to the gas, while the latter interacts with the gas via friction. The conversion of small to grown dust, dust growth, and dust self-gravity are also considered. We found that the process of dust growth known for the older protoplanetary phase also holds for the embedded phase of disk evolution. The dust growth efficiency depends on the radial distance from the star - a_r is largest in the inner disk and gradually declines with radial distance. In the inner disk, a_r is limited by the dust fragmentation barrier. The process of small-to-grown dust conversion is very fast once the disk is formed. The total mass of grown dust in the disk (beyond 1 AU) reaches tens or even hundreds of Earth masses already in the embedded phase of star formation and even a greater amount of grown dust drifts in the inner, unresolved 1 AU of the disk. Dust does not usually grow to radii greater than a few cm. A notable exception are models with \alpha <= 10^{-3}, in which case a zone with reduced mass transport develops in the inner disk and dust can grow to meter-sized boulders in the inner 10 AU. Grown dust drifts inward and accumulates in the inner disk regions. This effect is most pronounced in the \alpha <= 10^{-3} models where several hundreds of Earth masses can be accumulated in a narrow region of several AU from the star by the end of embedded phase. (abridged).