Turbulence, Vorticity Generation and Angular Momentum Transport via the Baroclinic Instability in Accretion Disks

Abstract

We propose the global baroclinic instability as a source for vigorous turbulence leading to angular momentum transport in Keplerian accretion disks. We know from analytical considerations and three-dimensional radiation hydro simulations that, in particular, protoplanetary disks have a negative radial entropy gradient, which makes them baroclinic. Two-dimensional numerical simulations show that this baroclinic flow is unstable and produces turbulence. These findings were tested for numerical effects by performing barotropic simulations which show that imposed turbulence rapidly decays. The turbulence in baroclinic disks draws energy from the background shear, transports angular momentum outward and creates a radially inward bound accretion of matter, thus forming a self consistent process. Gravitational energy is transformed into turbulent kinetic energy, which is then dissipated, as in the classical accretion paradigm. We measure accretion rates in 2D and 3D simulations of Ṁ = −;10⁻⁹ to −10⁻⁷ M_⊙ yr⁻¹ and viscosity parameters of α = 10⁻⁴–10⁻², which fit perfectly together and agree reasonably with observations. The turbulence creates pressure waves, Rossby waves, and vortices in the (R – ø) plane of the disk. We demonstrate in a global simulation that these vortices tend to form out of little background noise and to be long-lasting features, which have already been suggested to lead to the formation of planets.