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Collisionless Relaxation in Galactic Dynamics and the Evolution of Long‐Range Order
Author(s) -
KANDRUP HENRY E.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
annals of the new york academy of sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.712
H-Index - 248
eISSN - 1749-6632
pISSN - 0077-8923
DOI - 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1998.tb08956.x
Subject(s) - relaxation (psychology) , physics , coherence (philosophical gambling strategy) , interpretation (philosophy) , statistical physics , dynamics (music) , nonlinear system , classical mechanics , landau damping , boltzmann equation , range (aeronautics) , boltzmann constant , gravitation , theoretical physics , quantum mechanics , computer science , psychology , social psychology , materials science , acoustics , composite material , programming language
A bstract : This paper presents a critical assessment of certain aspects of collisionless galactic dynamics, focusing on the interpretation and limitations of the collisionless Boltzmann equation and the physical mechanisms associated with collisionless, or near‐collisionless, relaxation. Numerical and theoretical arguments are presented to motivate the idea that the evolution of a system far from equilibrium should be interpreted as involving nonlinear gravitational landau damping, a picture which implies a greater overall coherence and remembrance of initial conditions than is implicit in the conventional paradigm of violent relaxation.