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Register a new userA modified WKB formulation for linear eigenmodes of a collisionless self-gravitating disc in the epicyclic approximation
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The short--wave asymptotics (WKB) of spiral density waves in self-gravitating stellar discs is well suited for the study of the dynamics of tightly--wound wavepackets. But the textbook WKB theory is not well adapted to the study of the linear eigenmodes in a collisionless self-gravitating disc because of the transcendental nature of the dispersion relation. We present a modified WKB of spiral density waves, for collisionless discs in the epicyclic limit, in which the perturbed gravitational potential is related to the perturbed surface density by the Poisson integral in Kalnajs logarithmic spiral form. An integral equation is obtained for the surface density perturbation, which is seen to also reduce to the standard WKB dispersion relation. We specialize to a low mass (or Keplerian) self-gravitating disc around a massive black hole, and derive an integral equation governing the eigenspectra and eigenfunctions of slow precessional modes. For a prograde disc, the integral kernel turns out be real and symmetric, implying that all slow modes are stable. We apply the slow mode integral equation to two unperturbed disc profiles, the Jalali--Tremaine annular discs, and the Kuzmin disc. We determine eigenvalues and eigenfunctions for both $m = 1$ and $m = 2$ slow modes for these profiles and discuss their properties. Our results compare well with those of Jalali--Tremaine.
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In the mean field limit, isolated gravitational systems often evolve towards a steady state through a violent relaxation phase. One question is to understand the nature of this relaxation phase, in particular the role of radial instabilities in the establishment/destruction of the steady profile. Here, through a detailed phase-space analysis based both on a spherical Vlasov solver, a shell code and a $N$-body code, we revisit the evolution of collisionless self-gravitating spherical systems with initial power-law density profiles $rho(r) propto r^n$, $0 leq n leq -1.5$, and Gaussian velocity dispersion. Two sub-classes of models are considered, with initial virial ratios $eta=0.5$ (warm) and $eta=0.1$ (cool). Thanks to the numerical techniques used and the high resolution of the simulations, our numerical analyses are able, for the first time, to show the clear separation between two or three well known dynamical phases: (i) the establishment of a spherical quasi-steady state through a violent relaxation phase during which the phase-space density displays a smooth spiral structure presenting a morphology consistent with predictions from self-similar dynamics, (ii) a quasi-steady state phase during which radial instabilities can take place at small scales and destroy the spiral structure but do not change quantitatively the properties of the phase-space distribution at the coarse grained level and (iii) relaxation to non spherical state due to radial orbit instabilities for $n leq -1$ in the cool case.
We propose a modified Poisson-Nernst-Planck (PNP) model to investigate charge transport in electrolytes of inhomogeneous dielectric environment. The model includes the ionic polarization due to the dielectric inhomogeneity and the ion-ion correlation. This is achieved by the self energy of test ions through solving a generalized Debye-Huckel (DH) equation. We develop numerical methods for the system composed of the PNP and DH equations. Particularly, towards the numerical challenge of solving the high-dimensional DH equation, we developed an analytical WKB approximation and a numerical approach based on the selective inversion of sparse matrices. The model and numerical methods are validated by simulating the charge diffusion in electrolytes between two electrodes, for which effects of dielectrics and correlation are investigated by comparing the results with the prediction by the classical PNP theory. We find that, at the length scale of the interface separation comparable to the Bjerrum length, the results of the modified equations are significantly different from the classical PNP predictions mostly due to the dielectric effect. It is also shown that when the ion self energy is in weak or mediate strength, the WKB approximation presents a high accuracy, compared to precise finite-difference results.
We study the stability of gaps opened by a giant planet in a self-gravitating protoplanetary disc. We find a linear instability associated with both the self-gravity of the disc and local vortensity maxima which coincide with gap edges. For our models, these edge modes develop and extend to twice the orbital radius of a Saturn mass planet in discs with disc-to-star mass ratio >0.06, corresponding to a Toomre Q < 1.5 at the outer disc boundary. Unlike the local vortex-forming instabilities associated with gap edges in weakly or non-self-gravitating low viscosity discs, the edge modes are global and exist only in sufficiently massive discs, but for the typical viscosity values adopted for protoplanetary discs. Analytic modelling and linear calculations show edge modes may be interpreted as a localised disturbance associated with a gap edge inducing activity in the extended disc, through the launching of density waves excited at Lindblad resonances. Nonlinear hydrodynamic simulations are performed to investigate the evolution of edge modes in disc-planet systems. The form and growth rates of unstable modes are consistent with linear theory. Their dependence on viscosity and gravitational softening is also explored. We also performed a first study of the effect of edge modes on planetary migration. We found that if edge modes develop, then the average disc-on-planet torque becomes more positive with increasing disc mass. In simulations where the planet was allowed to migrate, although a fast type III migration could be seen that was similar to that seen in non-self-gravitating discs, we found that it was possible for the planet to interact gravitationally with the spiral arms associated with an edge mode and that this could result in the planet being scattered outwards. Thus orbital migration is likely to be complex and non monotonic in massive discs of the type we consider.
Externally driven interstellar turbulence plays an important role in shaping the density structure in molecular clouds. Here we study the dynamical role of internally driven turbulence in a self-gravitating molecular cloud core. Depending on the initial conditions and evolutionary stages, we find that a self-gravitating core in the presence of gravity-driven turbulence can undergo constant, decelerated, and accelerated infall, and thus has various radial velocity profiles. In the gravity-dominated central region, a higher level of turbulence results in a lower infall velocity, a higher density, and a lower mass accretion rate. As an important implication of this study, efficient reconnection diffusion of magnetic fields against the gravitational drag naturally occurs due to the gravity-driven turbulence, without invoking externally driven turbulence.
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