Dynamics of Protoplanetary Disks

Understand

Protoplanetary disks are quasi-steady structures whose evolution and dispersal determine the environment for planet formation.

• I review the theory of protoplanetary disk evolution and its connection to observations.
• Substantial progress has been made in elucidating the physics of potential angular momentum transport processes - including self-gravity, magnetorotational instability, baroclinic instabilities, and magnetic braking - and in developing testable models for disk dispersal via photoevaporation.
• The relative importance of these processes depends upon the initial mass, size and magnetization of the disk, and subsequently on its opacity, ionization state, and external irradiation.