On the formation of protostellar disks

An analysis is presented of the hydrodynamic aspects of the growth of protostellar disks from the accretion of a rotating gas cloud. Streamline equations for the flow onto the disk are derived, including the special case where the disk is very thin. For the radial structure of the disk, detailed equations of conservation of mass, momentum, angular momentum, and energy are given. Exact solutions are found for the case of no internal viscosity. For the more general case where there is viscous stress, hypotheses are formulated with the objective of discovering the main qualitative characteristics of a turbulent system and to estimate the magnitude of the turbulent stress. Solutions are also found for boundary conditions, and the large and small viscosity limits. The relation of energy balance to disk thermal structure is detailed. Finally, trends in the collapse of the dust cloud are discussed in the light of the solutions given.