Gravitational clustering: an overview
Abstract
We discuss the differences and analogies of gravitational clustering in finite and infinite systems. The process of collective, or violent, relaxation leading to the formation of quasi-stationary states is one of the distinguished features in the dynamics of self-gravitating systems. This occurs, in different conditions, both in a finite than in an infinite system, the latter embedded in a static or in an expanding background. We then discuss, by considering some simple and paradigmatic examples, the problems related to the definition of a mean-field approach to gravitational clustering, focusing on role of discrete fluctuations. The effect of these fluctuations is a basic issue to be clarified to establish the range of scales and times in which a collision-less approximation may describe the evolution of a self-gravitating system and for the theoretical modeling of the non-linear phase.
Cite
@article{arxiv.0806.2560,
title = {Gravitational clustering: an overview},
author = {Francesco Sylos Labini},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:0806.2560},
year = {2017}
}
Comments
17 pages, 6 figures. Chapter of the volume ``Dynamics and Thermodynamics of systems with long range interactions: theory and experiments'', A. Campa, A. Giansanti, G. Morigi, F. Sylos Labini Eds., American Institute of Physics Conference proceedings, 970 (2008). See http://scitation.aip.org/dbt/dbt.jsp?KEY=APCPCS&Volume=970&Issue=1