Dynamical friction in constant density cores: a failure of the Chandrasekhar formula

Details Dynamical friction in constant density cores: a failure of the Chandrasekhar formula Dynamical friction in constant density cores: a failure of the Chandrasekhar formula

2006-06-26

arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0606636v2

Mon.Not.Roy.Astron.Soc.373:1451-1460,2006

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astrophysics

11 pages, 7 figures. Final version accepted for publication in MNRAS

Scientific paper

10.1111/j.1365-2966.2006.11022.x

Using analytic calculations and N-body simulations we show that in constant density (harmonic) cores, sinking satellites undergo an initial phase of very rapid (super-Chandrasekhar) dynamical friction, after which they experience no dynamical friction at all. For density profiles with a central power law profile of log-slope, $-\alpha$, the infalling satellite heats the background and causes $\alpha$ to decrease. For $\alpha < 0.5$ initially, the satellite generates a small central constant density core and stalls as in the $\alpha = 0$ case. We discuss some astrophysical applications of our results to decaying satellite orbits, galactic bars and mergers of supermassive black hole binaries. In a companion paper we show that a central constant density core can provide a natural solution to the timing problem for Fornax's globular clusters.

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