Simulation of the Free Fall of a Gas Stream on a Protoplanetary Disk

Abstract

The problem of the formation of exoplanets in inclined orbits relative to the equatorial plane of the parent star or the main plane of the protoplanetary disk can be solved by introducing a smaller inclined disk. However, the question of the nature of such an internal disk remains open. In the paper, we successfully tested the hypothesis about the formation of an inclined inner disk in a protoplanetary disk near a T Tau type star as a result of a gas stream falling on it. To test the hypothesis, three-dimensional gas-dynamic calculations were performed taking into account viscosity and thermal conductivity using the PLUTO package. In the course of the analysis of calculations, it was shown that a single intersection of the matter stream with the plane of the disk cannot ensure the formation of an inclined disk near the star, while a double intersection can. In addition, in the case of a retrograde fall of matter, the angle of inclination of the resulting inner disk is significantly greater. An analysis of the observational manifestations of this event was also carried out: the potential change in the brightness of the star, the distribution of optical thickness in angles, the evolution of the accretion rate. It is shown that the decrease in brightness can reach up to $5^m$, taking into account scattered light, and such a decrease in brightness will last several decades. In addition, a sharp increase in the accretion rate by two orders of magnitude could potentially trigger an FU Ori-like outburst.