Turbulent stress within dead zones and magnetic field dragging induced by Rossby vortices

Abstract

ABSTRACT By means of three-dimensional resistive-magnetohydrodynamical models, we study the evolution of the so-called dead zones focused on the magnitude of the Reynolds and Maxwell stresses. We consider two different types of static resistivity radial profiles that give rise to an intermediate dead zone or an intermediate active zone. As we are interested in analysing the strength of angular momentum transport in these intermediate regions of the disc, we use as free parameters the radial extent of the intermediate dead (Δridz) or active (Δriact) zones, and the widths of the inner ($H_{b_1}$) and outer ($H_{b_2}$) transitions. We find that regardless of the width or radial extent of the intermediate zones, Rossby wave instability (RWI) develops at these transition boundaries, leading to the emergence of vortices and spiral waves. In the case of an intermediate dead zone when $H_{b_1}\, ,H_{b_2}\le 0.8$, the vortices are almost completely confined to the dead zone. Remarkably, we find that the formation of vortices at the inner transition can drag magnetic field lines into the dead zone stirring up the region that the vortex covers (reaching an α ≈ 10−2 value similar to that of an active zone). Vortices formed in the outer transition only modify the Reynolds stress tensor. Our results can be important to understanding angular momentum transport in poorly ionized regions within the disc due to magnetized vortices within dead zones.