Jul 21, 2025 06:08 PM
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1091839
INTRO: Researchers from the University of Greifswald and the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (MPIA) in Heidelberg (both in Germany) have developed a prototype experimental setup that simulates flow properties in accretion discs using a water tornado. The setup is inexpensive and easy to construct.
Accretion discs exist throughout the Universe in various sizes. A common feature is that gas orbits a central object whose gravity affects the surrounding matter. Some of the gas gradually spirals inward, increasing the mass of the central body. Accretion discs also surround young stars. The gas is mixed with microscopic solid particles, which astronomers refer to as dust. These particles stick together and can gradually grow into objects thousands of kilometres in size – the precursors of planets.
These complex processes, which include both orderly orbits and compact vortices, occur across a wide range of scales and are difficult to observe directly. Researchers therefore often turn to simulations to reproduce the processes using mathematical formulations of physical laws. However, it is challenging for such simulations to capture all relevant scales over extended periods. Furthermore, simulation results must be compared with observations, since computational artefacts may distort the outcome.
The newly developed water tornado model may provide an elegant means of addressing some of these limitations. In contrast to previous attempts to create such analogue experiments, the new approach offers two key advantages.
Firstly, it allows for a wide radial range to be simulated, whereas earlier models were limited to narrow, ring-shaped zones. “Secondly, the motions and flows closely resemble those observed in planet-forming discs and planetary systems,” explains Stefan Knauer from the University of Greifswald. Some of the fundamental physical principles governing planetary orbits were formulated in the early 17th century by Johannes Kepler and also apply to gas in a disc.
Initial tests have shown that these laws largely hold in the water tornado model as well. “We hope this new analogue experiment will offer insights into how processes unfold across vast distances within planet-forming discs,” says MPIA researcher Mario Flock. These findings could enhance simulations by addressing aspects that remain hidden from direct observation and provide new understanding. One area of particular interest is how dust particles and gas interact with each other in ways that promote planet formation... (MORE - details, no ads)
PAPER: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/mnrasl/slaf070
INTRO: Researchers from the University of Greifswald and the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (MPIA) in Heidelberg (both in Germany) have developed a prototype experimental setup that simulates flow properties in accretion discs using a water tornado. The setup is inexpensive and easy to construct.
Accretion discs exist throughout the Universe in various sizes. A common feature is that gas orbits a central object whose gravity affects the surrounding matter. Some of the gas gradually spirals inward, increasing the mass of the central body. Accretion discs also surround young stars. The gas is mixed with microscopic solid particles, which astronomers refer to as dust. These particles stick together and can gradually grow into objects thousands of kilometres in size – the precursors of planets.
These complex processes, which include both orderly orbits and compact vortices, occur across a wide range of scales and are difficult to observe directly. Researchers therefore often turn to simulations to reproduce the processes using mathematical formulations of physical laws. However, it is challenging for such simulations to capture all relevant scales over extended periods. Furthermore, simulation results must be compared with observations, since computational artefacts may distort the outcome.
The newly developed water tornado model may provide an elegant means of addressing some of these limitations. In contrast to previous attempts to create such analogue experiments, the new approach offers two key advantages.
Firstly, it allows for a wide radial range to be simulated, whereas earlier models were limited to narrow, ring-shaped zones. “Secondly, the motions and flows closely resemble those observed in planet-forming discs and planetary systems,” explains Stefan Knauer from the University of Greifswald. Some of the fundamental physical principles governing planetary orbits were formulated in the early 17th century by Johannes Kepler and also apply to gas in a disc.
Initial tests have shown that these laws largely hold in the water tornado model as well. “We hope this new analogue experiment will offer insights into how processes unfold across vast distances within planet-forming discs,” says MPIA researcher Mario Flock. These findings could enhance simulations by addressing aspects that remain hidden from direct observation and provide new understanding. One area of particular interest is how dust particles and gas interact with each other in ways that promote planet formation... (MORE - details, no ads)
PAPER: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/mnrasl/slaf070
