Speaker
Description
The observed lifetimes of protoplanetary disks are well established, but the mechanisms responsible for their dispersal are still under investigation. In the classical α-viscous model angular momentum transport is assumed to be driven by the magnetorotational instability (MRI), which requires sufficient ionization. The ionization structure of a disk is spatially non-uniform: highly ionized inner and outer regions surround a dead zone which is magnetically inactive. High-energy radiation launches a thermal wind that contributes to disk dispersal in the process called photoevaporation. The viscous evolution of the disk with dead zone and photoevaporation interact to shape the gas and dust distribution, which plays an important role in planetary accretion and migration. In this work, I present one-dimensional disk evolution models on 1Myr timescale that account for photoevaporation and the formation of the dead zone. I will also discuss some potential implications for planet formation.