2005/02/28 by Hubert Klahr, H. Klahr, D. N. C. Lin · 1 citation
Physics and Astronomy · #Astro and Planetary Science #Astrophysics #Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies #Debris #Drag #Instability #Mechanics #Meteorology #Photoevaporation #Physics #Planet #Planetesimal #Star formation #Stars #Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies #Streaming instability #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1086/432965
published as Astrophys.J. 632 (2005) 1113-1121 · 24 pages, 6 figures, ApJ in press
arxiv created 2005/10/13 · openalex publication_date 2005/10/13 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
Debris rings of dust are found around young luminous stars such as HR 4796A and HD 141569. Some of these entities have sharp edges and gaps, which have been interpreted as evidence for the presence of shepherding and embedded planets. Here we show that gaps and sharp edges in the debris disks of dust can also be spontaneously self-generated if they are embedded in optically thin regions of gaseous disks. This clumping instability arises in regions where an enhancement in the dust density leads to local gas temperature and pressure increases. Consequently, the relative motion between the gas and the dust is modified. The subsequent hydrodynamic drag on the dust particles leads to further enhancement of their concentration. We show that this process is linearly unstable and leads to the formation of ringlike structures within the estimated lifetime of such young objects. Once the gas is removed (e.g., by photoevaporation), the structures are "frozen" and will persist, even when the gas might not be observable anymore.