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| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Preprint |
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2025
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| Online Access: | https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.18270 |
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| _version_ | 1866911169368817664 |
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| author | Lim, Jeonghoon Simon, Jacob B. Li, Rixin Brouillette, Olivia Rea, David G. Lyra, Wladimir |
| author_facet | Lim, Jeonghoon Simon, Jacob B. Li, Rixin Brouillette, Olivia Rea, David G. Lyra, Wladimir |
| contents | The streaming instability (SI) is a leading mechanism for planetesimal formation, driving the aerodynamic concentration of solids in protoplanetary disks. The SI triggers strong clumping (i.e., strong enough for clumps to collapse) when the solid-to-gas column density ratio, $Z$, exceeds a threshold, $\Zcrit$. This threshold depends on the dimensionless stopping time, $τ_s$. Although the strong-clumping threshold has been explored over the last decade, it has been determined largely through 2D axisymmetric simulations. In this work, we perform a suite of 3D, vertically stratified simulations to establish a clumping threshold across $10^{-3} \leq τ_s \leq 1.0$. Additionally, we study SI-driven concentration that is unique to 3D. We find that $\Zcrit$ is as low as $\approx 0.002$ at $τ_s=0.1$ and exceeds $\approx 0.03$ at $τ_s=10^{-3}$. Compared to 2D, our 3D results yield lower $\Zcrit$ for $τ_s > 0.02$, but higher for $τ_s \leq 0.02$, with a sharp transition between $τ_s = 0.02$ and 0.03. This transition correlates with midplane density ratio ($ε$): $ε< 1$ where 3D gives lower thresholds, and $ε> 1$ where 3D gives higher thresholds. We also find a filaments-in-filaments structure when $ε< 1$, which enhances clumping compared to 2D. By contrast, when $ε> 1$ and $τ_s \leq 0.03$, dust filaments in 3D do not drift inward, suppressing filament mergers and strong clumping. In 2D, filaments drift inward regardless of $ε$, triggering strong clumping easier in this regime. Our results underscore the necessity of 3D simulations for accurately capturing SI-driven concentration and building the strong-clumping threshold. |
| format | Preprint |
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arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2509_18270 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | The Streaming Instability in 3D: Conditions for Strong Clumping Lim, Jeonghoon Simon, Jacob B. Li, Rixin Brouillette, Olivia Rea, David G. Lyra, Wladimir Earth and Planetary Astrophysics The streaming instability (SI) is a leading mechanism for planetesimal formation, driving the aerodynamic concentration of solids in protoplanetary disks. The SI triggers strong clumping (i.e., strong enough for clumps to collapse) when the solid-to-gas column density ratio, $Z$, exceeds a threshold, $\Zcrit$. This threshold depends on the dimensionless stopping time, $τ_s$. Although the strong-clumping threshold has been explored over the last decade, it has been determined largely through 2D axisymmetric simulations. In this work, we perform a suite of 3D, vertically stratified simulations to establish a clumping threshold across $10^{-3} \leq τ_s \leq 1.0$. Additionally, we study SI-driven concentration that is unique to 3D. We find that $\Zcrit$ is as low as $\approx 0.002$ at $τ_s=0.1$ and exceeds $\approx 0.03$ at $τ_s=10^{-3}$. Compared to 2D, our 3D results yield lower $\Zcrit$ for $τ_s > 0.02$, but higher for $τ_s \leq 0.02$, with a sharp transition between $τ_s = 0.02$ and 0.03. This transition correlates with midplane density ratio ($ε$): $ε< 1$ where 3D gives lower thresholds, and $ε> 1$ where 3D gives higher thresholds. We also find a filaments-in-filaments structure when $ε< 1$, which enhances clumping compared to 2D. By contrast, when $ε> 1$ and $τ_s \leq 0.03$, dust filaments in 3D do not drift inward, suppressing filament mergers and strong clumping. In 2D, filaments drift inward regardless of $ε$, triggering strong clumping easier in this regime. Our results underscore the necessity of 3D simulations for accurately capturing SI-driven concentration and building the strong-clumping threshold. |
| title | The Streaming Instability in 3D: Conditions for Strong Clumping |
| topic | Earth and Planetary Astrophysics |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.18270 |