Abstract
We propose a generalized accretion disk viscosity prescription based on hydrodynamically driven turbulence at the critical effective Reynolds number. This approach is consistent with recent re-analysis by Richard & Zahn (1999) of experimental results on turbulent Couette-Taylor flows. This new β-viscosity formulation is applied to both selfgravitating and non-selfgravitating disks and is shown to yield the standard α-disk prescription in the case of shock dissipation limited, non-selfgravitating disks. A specific case of fully selfgravitating β-disks is analyzed. We suggest that such disks may explain the observed spectra of protoplanetary disks and yield a natural explanation for the radial motions inferred from the observed metallicity gradients in disk galaxies. The β-mechanism may also account for the rapid mass transport required to power ultra luminous infrared galaxies.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 1123-1132 |
Number of pages | 10 |
Journal | Astronomy and astrophysics |
Volume | 357 |
Issue number | 3 |
State | Published - Dec 1 2000 |
Keywords
- Accretion, accretion disks
- Galaxies: evolution
- Galaxy: evolution
- Hydrodynamics
- Stars: pre-main sequence
- Turbulence
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Space and Planetary Science