Radiatively heated, protoplanetary discs with dead zones – I. Dust settling and thermal structure of discs around M stars

The irradiation of protoplanetary discs by central stars is the main heating mechanism for discs, resulting in their flared geometric structure. In a series of papers, we investigate the deep links between two‐dimensional self‐consistent disc structure and planetary migration in irradiated discs, focusing particularly on those around M stars. In this first paper, we analyse the thermal structure of discs that are irradiated by an M star by …