Protostars and Planets VI, Heidelberg, July 15-20, 2013

Poster 2G007

SIZES OF PROTOPLANETARY DISCS AFTER STAR-DISC ENCOUNTERS

Breslau, Andreas (Max-Plank-Institut für Radioastronomie, Bonn)
Steinhausen, Manuel (Max-Plank-Institut für Radioastronomie, Bonn)
Pfalzner, Susanne (Max-Plank-Institut für Radioastronomie, Bonn)

Abstract:
As a result of the star formation process, most if not all young stars are initially surrounded by protoplanetary discs. Furthermore most stars do not form in isolation, but as part of a star cluster. In this natal environment the stars frequently undergo encounters which have an influence on the protoplanetary discs properties. Depending on the encounter parameters, disc material can become unbound or the orbital parameters of the bound mass is changed. As a result, part of the disc material can move on highly eccentric orbits, which complicates the determination of the disc size after an encounter. Performing an extensive parameter study, we show that the disc size after an encounter can be expressed by a simple function of the encounter periastron and the mass ratio of the stars.

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