Distinguishing magnetized disc winds from turbulent viscosity through substructure morphology in planet-forming discs

The traditional paradigm of viscosity-dominated evolution of protoplanetary discs has been recently challenged by existence of magnetized disc winds. However, distinguishing wind-driven and turbulence-driven accretion through observations has been difficult. In this study, we present a novel approach to identifying their separate contribution to angular momentum transport by studying the gap and ring morphology of planet-forming discs in the ALMA continuum. We model the gap-opening process of planets in discs with both viscous evolution and wind-driven accretion by 2D multifluid hydrodynamical simulations. Our results show that gap-opening planets in wind-driven accreting discs generate characteristic dust substructures that differ from those in purely viscous discs. Specifically, we demonstrate that discs where wind-driven accretion dominates the production of substructures exhibit significant asymmetries. Based on the diverse outputs of mock images in the ALMA continuum, we roughly divide the planet-induced features into four regimes (moderate-viscosity dominated, moderate-wind dominated, strong-wind dominated, and inviscid). The classification of these regimes sets up a potential method to constrain the strength of magnetized disc wind and viscosity based on the observed gap and ring morphology. We discuss the asymmetry feature in our mock images and its potential manifestation in ALMA observations.

Automated summary

A novel approach to distinguishing wind-driven and turbulence-driven accretion has been proposed by studying the gap and ring morphology of planet-forming discs in ALMA continuum. Results from hydrodynamical simulations show that gap-opening planets in wind-driven accreting discs generate characteristic dust substructures that differ from those in purely viscous discs. The classification of planet-induced features sets up a potential method to constrain the strength of magnetized disc wind and viscosity based on observed morphology.