Protostellar angular momentum transport by spiral density waves

Abstract

The application of rotational stability criteria to a specific model of star formation leads to the conclusion that the growth of stellar angular momentum is limited by its transfer to the disk. Excess accreted angular momentum can be transferred by torques connected with spiral density waves induced by even a slight protostellar triaxiality. In addition, viscous damping of the density waves is likely to cause the excess angular momentum to be deposited within a small region close to the protostar. Thus, it would be appropriate to treat that part of the growing protostellar disk beyond the outer Lindblad resonance as an accretion disk with a torque applied to its inner edge. It is noted that this situation is directly relevant to certain models of the evolution of the protosun and solar nebula.