The formation of protostellar disks. I - 1 M(solar)

Abstract

Hydrodynamical calculations of the collapse of an axisymmetric, rotating one solar mass protostellar cloud, including the effects of radiative transfer and radiative acceleration but without magnetic fields, are presented. The results include calculations of infrared protostellar spectra as a function of time and viewing angle. A numerical algorithm involving explicit nested grids is used to resolve the region of initial disk formation and at the same time to include the outer regions in the calculation. The central part of the protostar is modeled approximately. Initial conditions are systematically varied to investigate their influence on the evolution and final configuration of central star plus circumstellar disk. The initial state for the standard case is a centrally condensed molecular cloud core of one solar mass with a mean density of 8 x 10 exp -18 g/cu cm and a specific angular momentum at the outer edge of 7 x 10 exp 20 sq cm/s. The collapse is followed for 8 x 10 exp 4 yr, at which point 0.45 solar mass is contained in a rapidly rotating central object and most of the remainder in a surrounding equilibrium disk. The stability of this final structure is qualitatively analyzed.