Particle aggregation in a turbulent Keplerian flow

For the problem of planetary formation one seeks a mechanism to gather small dust particles together into larger solid objects. Here we describe a scenario in which turbulence mediates this process by aggregating particles into anticyclonic regions. If, as our simulations suggest, anticyclonic vortices form as long-lived coherent structures, the process becomes more powerful because such vortices trap particles effectively. Even if the turbulence is decaying, following the upheaval that formed the disk, there is enough time to make the dust distribution quite lumpy. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S1070-6631(99)00208-1].