Constraining Protoplanetary Disk Accretion and Young Planets Using ALMA Kinematic Observations

TL;DR

This paper uses ALMA kinematic observations and simulations to distinguish different disk accretion mechanisms and to identify signatures of young planets, providing new methods to analyze protoplanetary disk structures and embedded planets.

Contribution

It demonstrates how vertical velocity profiles can differentiate accretion mechanisms and establishes a relationship between planet mass and kinematic signatures, aiding planet detection.

Findings

Vertical stress profiles reveal different accretion mechanisms.

Kink velocities correlate linearly with planet mass.

Azimuthal velocity deviations at gap edges indicate planet presence.

Abstract

Recent ALMA molecular line observations have revealed 3-D gas velocity structure in protoplanetary disks, shedding light on mechanisms of disk accretion and structure formation. 1) By carrying out viscous simulations, we confirm that the disk's velocity structure differs dramatically using vertical stress profiles from different accretion mechanisms. Thus, kinematic observations tracing flows at different disk heights can potentially distinguish different accretion mechanisms. On the other hand, the disk surface density evolution is mostly determined by the vertically integrated stress. The sharp disk outer edge constrained by recent kinematic observations can be caused by a radially varying $\alpha$ in the disk. 2) We also study kinematic signatures of a young planet by carrying out 3-D planet-disk simulations. The relationship between the planet mass and the "kink" velocity is derived, showing a linear relationship with little dependence on disk viscosity, but some dependence on disk height when the planet is massive, e.g. $10 M_J$. We predict the "kink" velocities for the potential planets in DSHARP disks. At the gap edge, the azimuthally-averaged velocities at different disk heights deviate from the Keplerian velocity at similar amplitudes, and its relationship with the planet mass is consistent with that in 2-D simulations. After removing the planet, the azimuthally-averaged velocity barely changes within the viscous timescale, and thus the azimuthally-averaged velocity structure at the gap edge is due to the gap itself and not directly caused to the planet. Combining both axisymmetric kinematic observations and the residual "kink" velocity is needed to probe young planets in protoplanetary disks.