Laboratory modeling of MHD accretion disks

This review article summarizes two decades of laboratory research aimed at understanding the dynamics of accretion disks, with particular emphasis on magnetohydrodynamic experiments involving liquid metals and plasmas. First, the Taylor–Couette experiments demonstrated the generation of magnetorotat...

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Main Author: Gissinger, Christophe
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Académie des sciences 2024-11-01
Series:Comptes Rendus. Physique
Subjects:
Online Access:https://comptes-rendus.academie-sciences.fr/physique/articles/10.5802/crphys.204/
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author Gissinger, Christophe
author_facet Gissinger, Christophe
author_sort Gissinger, Christophe
collection DOAJ
description This review article summarizes two decades of laboratory research aimed at understanding the dynamics of accretion disks, with particular emphasis on magnetohydrodynamic experiments involving liquid metals and plasmas. First, the Taylor–Couette experiments demonstrated the generation of magnetorotational instability (MRI) in liquid metals, and highlighted how this instability is critically influenced by boundary conditions and the geometry of the applied magnetic field. These experiments also highlight the nonlinear transition to turbulence in accretion disks, and their link with other MHD instabilities in centrifugally-stable flows. A complementary approach, involving laboratory experiments with volumetric fluid driving rather than rotating boundaries, enables a quantitative study of angular momentum transport by Keplerian turbulence. Collectively, these various laboratory studies offer new constraints on the theoretical models designed to explain the dynamics of accretion disks. This is particularly true with regard to the role of Keplerian turbulence in protoplanetary disks, where recent observations from the ALMA telescope have considerably revised previously expected values of the magnitude of the turbulent fluctuations. Finally, the paper discusses outstanding questions and future prospects in laboratory modeling of accretion disks.
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spelling doaj-art-f8b55c323191419fad40a2804a5c10812025-02-07T13:54:24ZengAcadémie des sciencesComptes Rendus. Physique1878-15352024-11-0112810.5802/crphys.20410.5802/crphys.204Laboratory modeling of MHD accretion disksGissinger, Christophe0LPENS, Ecole Normale Superieure, Paris, France. IUFThis review article summarizes two decades of laboratory research aimed at understanding the dynamics of accretion disks, with particular emphasis on magnetohydrodynamic experiments involving liquid metals and plasmas. First, the Taylor–Couette experiments demonstrated the generation of magnetorotational instability (MRI) in liquid metals, and highlighted how this instability is critically influenced by boundary conditions and the geometry of the applied magnetic field. These experiments also highlight the nonlinear transition to turbulence in accretion disks, and their link with other MHD instabilities in centrifugally-stable flows. A complementary approach, involving laboratory experiments with volumetric fluid driving rather than rotating boundaries, enables a quantitative study of angular momentum transport by Keplerian turbulence. Collectively, these various laboratory studies offer new constraints on the theoretical models designed to explain the dynamics of accretion disks. This is particularly true with regard to the role of Keplerian turbulence in protoplanetary disks, where recent observations from the ALMA telescope have considerably revised previously expected values of the magnitude of the turbulent fluctuations. Finally, the paper discusses outstanding questions and future prospects in laboratory modeling of accretion disks.https://comptes-rendus.academie-sciences.fr/physique/articles/10.5802/crphys.204/Accretion disksmagnetohydrodynamics (MHD)instabilitiesturbulencerotating flowMRI
spellingShingle Gissinger, Christophe
Laboratory modeling of MHD accretion disks
Comptes Rendus. Physique
Accretion disks
magnetohydrodynamics (MHD)
instabilities
turbulence
rotating flow
MRI
title Laboratory modeling of MHD accretion disks
title_full Laboratory modeling of MHD accretion disks
title_fullStr Laboratory modeling of MHD accretion disks
title_full_unstemmed Laboratory modeling of MHD accretion disks
title_short Laboratory modeling of MHD accretion disks
title_sort laboratory modeling of mhd accretion disks
topic Accretion disks
magnetohydrodynamics (MHD)
instabilities
turbulence
rotating flow
MRI
url https://comptes-rendus.academie-sciences.fr/physique/articles/10.5802/crphys.204/
work_keys_str_mv AT gissingerchristophe laboratorymodelingofmhdaccretiondisks