Note on the “Dead Zone” in Layered Accretion Models

Current layered accretion models neglect the properties of the “dead zone”. However, as argued here from simple considerations, the thickness of this zone is a critical quantity when the disc is in hydrostatic equilibrium. It controls not only the structure of the superficial, active layers, but also the mid-plane density and the total disc mass, and should therefore be introduced in models of that kind, steady or not. But in the absence of intrinsic heating, the dead zone must have a tiny size which, given the non-stationary and turbulent character of the global flow, makes very likely its mixing together with the two active layers.