Nonaxisymmetric rossby vortex instability with toroidal magnetic fields in radially structured disks

Abstract

We investigate the global nonaxisymmetric Rossby vortex instability (RVI) in a differentially rotating, compressible magnetized accretion disk with radial density structures. Equilibrium magnetic fields are assumed to have only the toroidal component. Using linear theory analysis, we show that the density structure can be unstable to nonaxisymmetric modes. We find that, for the magnetic field profiles we have studied, magnetic fields always provide a stabilizing effect to the unstable RVI modes. We discuss the physical mechanism of this stabilizing effect. The threshold and properties of the unstable modes are also discussed in detail. In addition, we present linear stability results for the global magnetorotational instability when the disk is compressible. © 2009. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.