Rocking shadows in broken circumbinary discs

Rebecca Nealon, Daniel J. Price, Christophe Pinte

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer-review

19 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

We use three-dimensional simulations with coupled hydrodynamics and Monte Carlo radiative transfer to show that shadows cast by the inner disc in broken circumbinary discs move within a confined range of position angles on the outer disc. Over time, shadows appear to rock back and forth in azimuth as the inner disc precesses. The effect occurs because the inner disc precesses around a vector that is not the angular momentum vector of the outer disc. We relate our findings to recent observations of shadows in discs.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)L143-L147
Number of pages5
JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
Volume493
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Mar 2020

Keywords

  • binaries: close
  • hydrodynamics
  • methods: numerical
  • protoplanetary discs
  • radiative transfer
  • stars: kinematics and dynamics

Cite this