Open AccessThe fragmentation of cold slabs: application to the formation of clusters
Author(s) -
Clarke C. J.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
monthly notices of the royal astronomical society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.058
H-Index - 383
eISSN - 1365-2966
pISSN - 0035-8711
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-8711.1999.02581.x
Subject(s) - physics , slab , plane (geometry) , fragmentation (computing) , wavelength , astrophysics , relaxation (psychology) , geometry , optics , geophysics , psychology , social psychology , mathematics , computer science , operating system
We investigate the evolution of self‐gravitating modes in slab‐like systems with zero pressure support. We find that temporary cooling of gaseous slabs does not lead to fragmentation during the time that the slab collapses to the mid‐plane: a result that contrasts with that in spherical geometry. We also find that in stellar dynamical applications (where the slab executes repeated oscillations normal to its plane), it is only modes with horizontal wavelength less than or of the order of the slab thickness that are monotonically amplified. We discuss the application of this result to the violent relaxation of highly flattened stellar clusters.