No abstract

No abstract

Detailed models for the density and temperature profiles of gas and dust in protoplanetary disks are constructed by taking into account X-ray and ultraviolet (UV) irradiation from a central T Tauri star, as well as dust size growth and settling toward the disk midplane. The spatial and size distributions of dust grains in the disks are numerically computed by solving the coagulation equation for settling dust particles, with the result that the mass and total surface area of dust grains per unit volume of the gas in protoplanetary disks are very small, except at the disk midplane. The level populations and line emission of molecular hydrogen are calculated using the derived physical structure of the disks. X-ray irradiation is the dominant heating source of the gas in the inner disk region and in the surface layer, while the far UV heating dominates otherwise. If the central star has strong X-ray and weak UV radiation, the level populations of molecular hydrogen are controlled by X-ray pumping, and the X-ray induced transition lines could be observable. If the UV irradiation is strong, the level populations are controlled by thermal collisions or UV pumping, depending on the properties of the dust grains in the disks. As the dust particles evolve in the disks, the gas temperature at the disk surface drops because the grain photoelectric heating becomes less efficient, while the UV radiation fields become stronger due to the decrease of grain opacity. This makes the level populations of molecular hydrogen change from local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) to non-LTE distributions, which results in changes to the line ratios of molecular hydrogen emission. Our results suggest that dust evolution in protoplanetary disks could be observable through the line ratios of molecular hydrogen. The emission lines are strong from disks irradiated by strong UV and X-rays and possessing small dust grains; such disks will be good targets in which to observe molecular hydrogen emission.

No abstract