Dynamics and Observational Appearance of Circumstellar Disks [article]

Andrew F. Nelson
1999 arXiv   pre-print
In my thesis I present a study of the dynamics and observational characteristics of massive circumstellar disks in two dimensions (r, ϕ) using two complimentary hydrodynamic codes: a 'Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamic' (SPH) code and a 'Piecewise Parabolic Method' (PPM) code. I also study the detection limits available to radial velocity searches for low mass companions to main sequence stars. The thesis is organized as a series of published or submitted papers, connected by introductory and
more » ... ding material and is archived 'for posterity'. I recommend that readers of this abstract obtain the published versions of each of these papers. I first outline the progress which has been made in the modeling of the structure and origins of the solar system, then in chapter 2 (ApJ 502,p342) I proceed with numerical simulations of circumstellar disks using both hydrodynamic codes assuming a 'locally isothermal' equation of state. In chapter 4 (ApJ submitted) I relax the locally isothermal evolution assumption and instead include simple heating and cooling prescriptions for the system. In chapter 6 (ApJ 500,p940) I examine the limits which may be placed upon the detection of planets, brown dwarfs and low mass stellar companions using radial velocity measurements. In chapter 7, I outline several problems which may be profitably addressed by building on this work.
arXiv:astro-ph/9908158v1 fatcat:navsv4sikranhbk3f4np5novgu