Issue |
A&A
Volume 406, Number 1, July IV 2003
|
|
---|---|---|
Page(s) | 1 - 5 | |
Section | Astrophysical processes | |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:20030665 | |
Published online | 17 November 2003 |
Numerical tests of dynamical friction in gravitational inhomogeneous systems
Dipartimento di Matematica, Università Statale di Bergamo, via dei Caniana 2, 24129 Bergamo, Italy Feza Gürsey Institute, PO Box 6 Çengelköy, Istanbul, Turkey Bogaziçi University, Physics Department 80815 Bebek, Istanbul, Turkey
Corresponding author: adelpop@unibg.it
Received:
28
January
2003
Accepted:
10
April
2003
In this paper, I test by numerical simulations the results of Del Popolo & Gambera (1998),
dealing with the extension of Chandrasekhar and Von Neumann's analysis of the
statistics of the gravitational field to systems in which particles
(e.g. stars, galaxies) are inhomogeneously distributed.
The paper is an extension of that of Ahmad & Cohen ([CITE]), in which the authors
tested some results of the stochastic theory of dynamical friction developed by
Chandrasekhar & von Neumann ([CITE]) in the case of homogeneous gravitational systems.
It is also a continuation of the work developed in
Del Popolo ([CITE],b), which extended the results of Ahmad & Cohen ([CITE]),
(dealing with the study of the probability distribution of the stochastic force in homogeneous gravitational
systems) to inhomogeneous gravitational systems.
Similarly to what was done by Ahmad & Cohen ([CITE]) in the case of homogeneous systems,
I test, by means of the evolution of an inhomogeneous
system of particles,
that the theoretical rate of force fluctuation describes correctly
the experimental one.
I find that the stochastic force distribution obtained for
the evolved system is in good agreement with the Del Popolo & Gambera ([CITE]) theory.
Moreover, in an inhomogeneous
background the friction force is actually enhanced relative to the
homogeneous case.
Key words: stars: statistics / celestial mechanics / methods: numerical
© ESO, 2003
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