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| Paper: |
The Fate of an Unstable Mode |
| Volume: |
160, Astrophysical Discs: An EC Summer School |
| Page: |
132 |
| Authors: |
Laughlin, Gregory; Korchagin, Vladimir; Adams, Fred C. |
| Abstract: |
This contribution draws from our efforts to seek a better understanding of the behaviour of self-gravitating discs. Our specific approach consists of performing a detailed analysis of a simplified model disc which is susceptible to the growth of a two-armed spiral. We first perform a numerical simulation of this disc. The outcome of the simulation is then used to motivate both a linear and a nonlinear perturbative analysis of the hydrodynamic governing equations. We see evidence that the dramatic early phase of mass and angular momentum transport in the disc can be explained by a second-order nonlinear process involving self-interaction of the dominant (m=2) linear mode. This rapid transport may be instrumental in allowing unstable discs to re-adjust their structure and avoid fragmentation. |
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