EMPIRICAL CONSTRAINTS ON TURBULENCE IN PROTOPLANETARY ACCRETION DISKS

Journal Article · Tue Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 2011 · Astrophysical Journal

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/727/2/85· OSTI ID:21567560

Hughes, A Meredith; Wilner, David J; Andrews, Sean M; Qi, Chunhua ^[1]

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1. Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States)

We present arcsecond-scale Submillimeter Array observations of the CO(3-2) line emission from the disks around the young stars HD 163296 and TW Hya at a spectral resolution of 44 m s{sup -1}. These observations probe below the {approx}100 m s{sup -1} turbulent linewidth inferred from lower-resolution observations, and allow us to place constraints on the turbulent linewidth in the disk atmospheres. We reproduce the observed CO(3-2) emission using two physical models of disk structure: (1) a power-law temperature distribution with a tapered density distribution following a simple functional form for an evolving accretion disk, and (2) the radiative transfer models developed by D'Alessio et al. that can reproduce the dust emission probed by the spectral energy distribution. Both types of models yield a low upper limit on the turbulent linewidth (Doppler b-parameter) in the TW Hya system ({approx}<40 m s{sup -1}) and a tentative (3{sigma}) detection of a {approx}300 m s{sup -1} turbulent linewidth in the upper layers of the HD 163296 disk. These correspond to roughly {<=}10% and 40% of the sound speed at size scales commensurate with the resolution of the data. The derived linewidths imply a turbulent viscosity coefficient, {alpha}, of order 0.01 and provide observational support for theoretical predictions of subsonic turbulence in protoplanetary accretion disks.

• OSTI ID: 21567560
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal, Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 727; ISSN ASJOAB; ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
ACCRETION DISKS
EMISSION
PROTOPLANETS
STARS
TURBULENCE