Thermodynamics of Viscously Heated Circumplanetary Disks
Researchers developed a viscous radiation hydrodynamic (RHD) model for circumplanetary disks to study their thermodynamics. The model showed that disk thickness increases with accretion rate and decreases with planet mass, aligning with standard models. Crucially, the boundary layer heats accreted gas to a 'hot' state and can lead to dust sublimation. A supersonic flow above the disk might produce observable H$\alpha$ emission for massive planets.