EPoS Contribution
EPoS Contribution
The magnetorotational instability in weakly ionised protoplanetary disks

Turlough Downes
DCU, Dublin, IE
Turbulent motion driven by the magnetorotational instability (MRI) is believed to provide an anomalous viscosity strong enough to account for observed accretion rates in protoplanetary accretion disks. We report on the first ever global, fully multifliud MHD simulations of a weakly ionised protoplanetary disk focusing on those regions of these disks in which the Hall effect dominates the non-ideal effects. We examine the role of multifluid effects on the linear and non-linear evolution of the MRI. The transport of angular momentum is significantly enhanced by the inclusion of non-ideal effects if the angular momentum of the disk and the magnetic field are aligned. In the case where these vectors are anti-parallel the growth of the MRI is significantly retarded. We discuss the implications of our results for our understanding of the physics of accretion disks.
Caption: Two frames showing the growth of the MRI in a multifluid protoplanetary disk.
Collaborators:
W. O'Keeffe, DCU, Ireland
Key publication

Suggested Sessions: Cores to Disks