A Monte Carlo method for tracking dust properties during coagulation in protoplanetary disks
Nerea Gurrutxaga, Vignesh Vaikundaraman, Joanna Drazkowska
TLDR
This paper introduces a new Monte Carlo method for dust coagulation in protoplanetary disks that strictly conserves dust properties, improving accuracy.
Key contributions
- Presents a novel Monte Carlo algorithm for tracking dust coagulation in protoplanetary disks.
- Ensures strict global conservation of dust properties while resolving their spatial evolution.
- Improves the resolution of the small-grain regime compared to existing Monte Carlo methods.
- Demonstrates strict mass conservation for individual components (e.g., water, silicates) during coagulation.
Why it matters
This paper addresses a critical limitation in planet formation models by introducing a Monte Carlo method that strictly conserves dust properties. This improved accuracy is crucial for understanding dust growth and predicting planet formation more reliably. It offers a valuable tool for future research.
Original Abstract
Dust growth is a crucial step in planet formation, and the efficiency of this process is controlled by the physical and chemical properties of the dust grains. Monte Carlo-based methods are commonly used to follow the collisional evolution of dust while tracking their properties. However, current Monte Carlo methods in planet formation do not strictly conserve the global inventory of dust properties across the protoplanetary disk, causing fluctuations that can grow over time and affect predictions of dust evolution. Here we present a coagulation algorithm that ensures the global conservation of dust properties while resolving the spatial evolution of dust. The method is validated against analytical solutions for standard coagulation kernels and benchmarked in a two-dimensional disk. We show that the method reproduces standard results, resolves the full dust population, and improves the resolution of the small-grain regime compared to other Monte Carlo methods for modeling global dust evolution. Finally, using a test case that includes sublimation and condensation of water interacting with silicates, we demonstrate strict conservation of each component's mass during coagulation, establishing the method as a valuable tool for tracking dust properties in protoplanetary disks.
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