Fragmentation of Kozai-Lidov Disks

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2017

Publication Title

Astrophysical Journal Letters

Volume

835

Issue

2

Abstract

We analyze the gravitational instability (GI) of a locally isothermal inclined disk around one component of a binary system. Such a disk can undergo global Kozai-Lidov (KL) cycles if the initial disk tilt is above the critical KL angle (of about 40�). During these cycles, an initially circular disk exchanges its inclination for eccentricity, and vice versa. Self-gravity may suppress the cycles under some circumstances. However, with hydrodynamic simulations that include self-gravity, we show that for a sufficiently high initial disk tilts and for certain disk masses, disks can undergo KL oscillations and fragment due to GI, even when the Toomre Q value for an equivalent undisturbed disk is well within the stable regime (Q > 2). We suggest that KL triggered disk fragmentation provides a mechanism for the efficient formation of giant planets in binary systems and may enhance the fragmentation of disks in massive black hole binaries. � 2017. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.

Language

english

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