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Equilibrium stellar systems with spindle singularities

Shapiro, Stuart L. and Teukolsky, Saul A. (1992) Equilibrium stellar systems with spindle singularities. Astrophysical Journal, 388 (1). pp. 287-300. ISSN 0004-637X. doi:10.1086/171152. https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20180606-163526118

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Abstract

We construct equilibrium sequences of axisymmetric Newtonian clusters that tend toward singular states. The distribution functions are chosen to be of the form f=/(E, J_z). The numerical method then determines the density and gravitational potential self-consistently to satisfy Poisson’s equation. For the prolate models, spindle singularities arise from the depletion of angular momentum near the symmetry axis. While the resulting density enhancement is confined to the region near the axis, the influence of the spindle extends much further out through its tidal gravitational field. Centrally condensed prolate clusters may contain strong-field regions even though the spindle mass is small and the mean cluster eccentricity is not extreme. While the calculations performed here are entirely Newtonian, the issue of singularities is an important topic in general relativity. Equilibrium solutions for relativistic star clusters can provide a testing ground for exploring this issue. The methods used in this paper for building nonspherical clusters can be extended to relativistic systems.


Item Type:Article
Related URLs:
URLURL TypeDescription
https://doi.org/10.1086/171152DOIArticle
http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1992ApJ...388..287SADSArticle
ORCID:
AuthorORCID
Teukolsky, Saul A.0000-0001-9765-4526
Additional Information:© 1992. The American Astronomical Society. Received 1991 July 19; accepted 1991 September 26. This work has been supported in part by National Science Foundation grants AST 90-15451 and PHY 90-07834, and NASA grant NAGW-2364 at Cornell University.
Funders:
Funding AgencyGrant Number
NSFAST 90-15451
NSFPHY 90-07834
NASANAGW-2364
Subject Keywords:celestial mechanics, stellar dynamics — galaxies: kinematics and dynamics — globular clusters : general — relativity
Issue or Number:1
DOI:10.1086/171152
Record Number:CaltechAUTHORS:20180606-163526118
Persistent URL:https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20180606-163526118
Usage Policy:No commercial reproduction, distribution, display or performance rights in this work are provided.
ID Code:86870
Collection:CaltechAUTHORS
Deposited By: George Porter
Deposited On:07 Jun 2018 21:55
Last Modified:15 Nov 2021 20:43

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