Xiaoyi Ma
- BSc (University of Toronto, 2021)
Topic
Vortex-induced Rings and Gaps in Protoplanetary Disks
Department of Physics and Astronomy
Date & location
- Thursday, April 11, 2024
- 3:00 P.M.
- Clearihue Building, Room B017
Examining Committee
Supervisory Committee
- Dr. Ruobing Dong, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Victoria (Supervisor)
- Dr. Doug Johnstone, Department of Physics and Astronomy, UVic (Member)
External Examiner
- Dr. Min-Kai Lin, Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica
Chair of Oral Examination
- Dr. Niiyokamigaabaw Deondre Smiles, Department of Geography, UVic
Abstract
Observations of protoplanetary disks has revealed both crescents and rings in dust continuum emission. These crescents are believed to result from dust-trapping vortices generated by the Rossby Wave Instability (RWI), which induces density waves similar to those produced by planets. We explore the properties of these density waves and associated substructures by performing 2D hydrodynamic simulations both in shearing boxes and global disks. Our findings confirm that long-lived vortices can indeed create observable rings and gaps in inviscid discs consistent with ALMA dust continuum observations. Additionally, we establish an empirical relationship between the aspect ratio of gas vortices and the location of dust rings, revealing a linear correlation between them.