2004/11/30 by H. B. Throop, Henry B. Throop, John Bally · 14 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Astro and Planetary Science #Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies #Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1086/430272
published as Astrophys.J. 623 (2005) L149-L152 · 4 pages, 1 figure. Revised and accepted by ApJL
openalex publication_date 2005/03/25 · arxiv created 2005/04/05 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31
We propose that UV radiation can stimulate the formation of planetesimals in externally illuminated protoplanetary disks. We present a numerical model of disk evolution including vertical sedimentation and photoevaporation by an external O or B star. As solid material grows and settles toward the disk midplane, the outer layers of the disk become dust-depleted. When such a disk is exposed to UV radiation, heating drives photoevaporative mass loss from its surface, generating a dust-depleted outflow. The dust-to-gas surface density ratio in the disk interior grows until dust in the disk midplane becomes gravitationally unstable. Thus, UV radiation fields may induce the rapid formation of planetesimals in disks where sedimentation has occurred.