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Copyright by Athena Ranice Stacy 2011 - The University of Texas at ...

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2.4.2 Protostellar accretion<br />

2.4.2.1 Disk form<strong>at</strong>ion<br />

We next discuss the transition from the quasi-spherical initial collapse<br />

towards a disk-like configur<strong>at</strong>ion. This transition is clearly visible in the ve-<br />

locity structure <strong>of</strong> the central region, which changes dram<strong>at</strong>ically over the last<br />

several thousand years <strong>of</strong> the simul<strong>at</strong>ion as the disk-like n<strong>at</strong>ure <strong>of</strong> the central<br />

region becomes more apparent over time. In Fig. 2.4, we illustr<strong>at</strong>e the evolu-<br />

tion <strong>of</strong> the radial (left panels) and rot<strong>at</strong>ional velocity (right panels), measured<br />

with respect to the most massive sink. In comparing to the free-fall velocity,<br />

we calcul<strong>at</strong>e vff using the enclosed mass Menc within a radial distance r from<br />

the main sink. At both times shown, 250 and 5000 yr after initial sink for-<br />

m<strong>at</strong>ion, pressure support from the central gas leads to a devi<strong>at</strong>ion from pure<br />

free fall, but the overall behavior <strong>of</strong> the radial velocity <strong>of</strong> the outer particles<br />

is similar to th<strong>at</strong> <strong>of</strong> the vff pr<strong>of</strong>ile. This is not the case for the particles very<br />

near the sink, however. <strong>The</strong> average radial velocity <strong>of</strong> the central gas particles,<br />

particularly the cold ones (shown in blue), approaches zero as the gas begins<br />

to exhibit more rot<strong>at</strong>ional motion.<br />

<strong>The</strong> central region is evolving into a Keplerian disk (vrot ∝ r −1/2 ) <strong>by</strong><br />

just 250 yr after the first sink has formed. Note the comparison between the<br />

particle rot<strong>at</strong>ional velocities vrot and the Keplerian velocity vKep (red line in<br />

Fig. 2.4), defined as<br />

vKep =<br />

GMenc<br />

r<br />

. (2.5)<br />

From Fig. 2.4 (panel b), it is apparent th<strong>at</strong> the inner 100-200 AU <strong>of</strong> the disk are<br />

becoming rot<strong>at</strong>ionally supported (vrot > ∼ vKep) <strong>by</strong> 250 yr after sink form<strong>at</strong>ion.<br />

25

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