Mind the Kinematics Simulation of Planet–Disk Interactions: Time Evolution and Numerical Resolution

Abstract

Planet–disk interactions can produce kinematic signatures in protoplanetary disks. While recent observations have detected non-Keplerian gas motions in disks, their origins are still being debated. To explore this, we conduct 3D hydrodynamic simulations using the code FARGO3D to study nonaxisymmetric kinematic perturbations at two scale heights induced by Jovian planets in protoplanetary disks, followed by examinations of detectable signals in synthetic CO emission line observations at millimeter wavelengths. We advocate for using residual velocity or channel maps, generated by subtracting an azimuthally averaged background of the disk, to identify planet-induced kinematic perturbations. We investigate the effects of two basic simulation parameters, simulation duration and numerical resolution, on the simulation results. Our findings suggest that a short simulation (e.g., 100 orbits) is insufficient to establish a steady velocity pattern given our chosen viscosity (α = 10−3) and displays plenty of fluctuations on an orbital timescale. Such transient features could be detected in observations. By contrast, a long simulation (e.g., 1000 orbits) is required to reach steady state in kinematic structures. At 1000 orbits, the strongest detectable velocity structures are found in the spiral wakes close to the planet. Through numerical convergence tests, we find hydrodynamics results converge in spiral regions at a resolution of 14 cells per disk scale height or higher. Meanwhile, synthetic observations produced from hydrodynamic simulations at different resolutions are indistinguishable with 0.″1 angular resolution and 10 hr of integration time on Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array.