Angle-action estimation in a general axisymmetric potential
Astrophysics of Galaxies
2014-06-16 v1
Abstract
The usefulness of angle-action variables in galaxy dynamics is well known, but their use is limited due to the difficulty of their calculation in realistic galaxy potentials. Here we present a method for estimating angle-action variables in a realistic Milky Way axisymmetric potential by locally fitting a St\"ackel potential over the region an orbit probes. The quality of the method is assessed by comparison with other known methods for estimating angle-action variables of a range of disc and halo-type orbits. We conclude by projecting the Geneva-Copenhagen survey into angle-action space.
Cite
@article{arxiv.1208.2813,
title = {Angle-action estimation in a general axisymmetric potential},
author = {Jason Sanders},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1208.2813},
year = {2014}
}
Comments
13 pages, 12 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS