Gas- and dust evolution in protoplanetary disks

Junior Research Group at the Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie, Königstuhl 17, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany e-mail: birnstiel@mpia.de

Received: 24 November 2009
Accepted: 26 January 2010

Abstract

Context. Current models of the size- and radial evolution of dust in protoplanetary disks generally oversimplify either the radial evolution of the disk (by focussing at one single radius or by using steady state disk models) or they assume particle growth to proceed monodispersely or without fragmentation. Further studies of protoplanetary disks – such as observations, disk chemistry and structure calculations or planet population synthesis models – depend on the distribution of dust as a function of grain size and radial position in the disk.

Aims. We attempt to improve upon current models to be able to investigate how the initial conditions, the build-up phase, and the evolution of the protoplanetary disk influence growth and transport of dust.

Methods. We introduce a new model similar to Brauer et al. (2008, A&A, 480, 859) in which we now include the time-dependent viscous evolution of the gas disk, and in which more advanced input physics and numerical integration methods are implemented.

Results. We show that grain properties, the gas pressure gradient, and the amount of turbulence are much more influencing the evolution of dust than the initial conditions or the build-up phase of the protoplanetary disk. We quantify which conditions or environments are favorable for growth beyond the meter size barrier. High gas surface densities or zonal flows may help to overcome the problem of radial drift, however already a small amount of turbulence poses a much stronger obstacle for grain growth.