Variations in the accretion rate and luminosity in gravitationally unstable protostellar disks

Abstract

Self-consistent modeling of a protostar and protostellar disk is carried out for early stages of their evolution. The accretion rate at distances of sevral astronomical units from the protostar is appreciably variable, which is reflected in the protostar’s luminosity. The amplitude of the variations in the accretion rate and luminosity grows together with the sampling period, as a consequence of the nature of gravitationally unstable protostellar disks. A comparison of model luminosity variations with those derived from observations of nearby sites of star formation shows that the model variations are appreciably lower than the observed values for sampling periods of less than 10 years, indicating the presence of additional sources of variability on small dynamical distances from the protostar.