Evolution of Molecular Abundance in Protoplanetary Disks

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Abstract
We investigate the evolution of molecular abundance in quiescent protoplanetary disks that are presumed to be around weak-lined T Tauri stars. In the region of surface density less than 102 g cm-2 (distance from the star 10 AU in the minimum-mass solar nebula), cosmic rays are barely attenuated even in the midplane of the disk and produce chemically active ions such as He+ and H+3. Through reactions with these ions, CO and N2 are finally transformed into CO2, NH3, and HCN. In the region where the temperature is low enough for these products to freeze onto grains, a considerable amount of carbon and nitrogen is locked up in the ice mantle and is depleted from the gas phase in a timescale of 3 × 106 yr. Oxidized (CO2) ice and reduced (NH3 and hydrocarbon) ice naturally coexist in this part of the disk. The molecular abundance both in the gas phase and in the ice mantle varies significantly with the distance from the central star.
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