Lec 4, Friday 17 Feb.ppt

Lec 4, Friday 17 Feb potential and eqs. of motion in general geometry Axisymmetric spherical Laplacian in various coordinates Example: Energy is conserved in STATIC potential The orbital energy of a star is given by: Static Axisymmetric density ? Static Axisymmetric potential We employ a cylindrical coordinate system (R,?,z) e.g., centred on the galaxy and align the z axis with the galaxy axis of symmetry. Here the potential is of the form ?(R,z). Density and Potential are Static and Axisymmetric independent of time and azimuthal angle Orbits in an axisymmetric potential Let the potential which we assume to be symmetric about the plane z=0, be ?(R,z). The general equation of motion of the star is Eqs. of motion in cylindrical coordinates Conservation of angular momentum z-component Jz if axisymmetric The component of angular momentum about the z-axis is conserved. If ?(R,z) has no dependence on ? then the azimuthal angular momentum is conserved or because z-component of the torque r?F=0. (Show it) Spherical Static System Density, potential function of radius |r| only Conservation of energy E, angular momentum J (all 3-components) Argue that a star moves orbit which confined to a plane perpendicular to J vector. Spherical Cow Theorem Most astronomical objects can be approximated as spherical. Anyway non-spherical systems are too difficult to model, almost all models are spherical. Globular: A nearly spherical static system From Spherical Density to Mass Theorems on Spherical Systems NEWTONS 1st THEOREM:A body that is inside a spherical shell of matter experiences no net gravitational force from that shell NEWTONS 2nd THEOREM:The gravitational force on a body that lies outside a closed spherical shell of matter is the same as it would be if all the matter were concentrated at its centre. Poisson’s eq. in Spherical systems Poisson’s eq. in a spherical potential with no θ or Φ dependence is: Interpretation of Poissons Equation Consider a spherical