Statistical Mechanics of Galaxies

Details Statistical Mechanics of Galaxies Statistical Mechanics of Galaxies

Nov 1993

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1993mnras.265..237h&link_type=abstract

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol. 265, NO. 1/NOV1, P. 237, 1993

Physics

20

Scientific paper

An analysis, aimed at clarifying the predictions of statistical mechanics for collisionless stellar systems, is presented. This is motivated by the recent success of maximum entropy-like principles applied to the structure of elliptical galaxies. It is argued that the strong divergence of trajectories in gravitational N-body systems leads to a very small mixing scale and to a nondegenerate distribution function. In addition, the physics of violent relaxation favours a well-mixed equilibrium independently of initial conditions. Under these circumstances, the statistical mechanical prediction can explain the universal structure of elliptical galaxies.

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