Related papers: Stellar Dynamics and Black Holes
We develop a simple physical model to describe the dynamics of a massive point-like object, such as a black hole, near the center of a dense stellar system. It is shown that the total force on this body can be separated into two independent…
In galactic nuclei, the gravitational potential is dominated by the central supermassive black hole, so stars follow quasi-Keplerian orbits. These orbits are distorted by gravitational forces from other stars, leading to long-term orbital…
Dynamical friction implies a consistency check on any system where dark matter particles are hypothesised to explain orbital dynamics requiring more mass under Newtonian gravity than is directly detectable. Introducing the assumption of a…
An algorithm is described for evolving the phase-space density of stars or compact objects around a massive black hole at the center of a galaxy. The technique is based on numerical integration of the Fokker-Planck equation in…
We argue that resonant friction has a dramatic effect on a disc whose rotation direction is misaligned with that of its host nuclear star cluster. The disc's gravity causes gravitational perturbation of the cluster that in turn exerts a…
Dynamics of stellar orbits in dense stellar systems and nuclear star clusters (NSC) with an embedded supermassive black hole (SMBH) is governed a complex interplay of different forces. In particular, star--star gravitational collisions…
Using analytic calculations and N-body simulations we show that in constant density (harmonic) cores, sinking satellites undergo an initial phase of very rapid (super-Chandrasekhar) dynamical friction, after which they experience no…
The understanding of stellar structure represents the crossroads of our theories of the nuclear force and the gravitational interaction under the most extreme conditions observably accessible. It provides a powerful probe of the strong…
To complement hydrodynamic studies of the tidal disruption of the star by a massive black hole, we present the study of stellar luminosity and its variations, produced by the strong gravitational field of the black hole during a close…
The present lecture notes are an introduction to selected topics of {\it Galactic Dynamics}. The focus is on topics that we consider more relevant to the main theme of this workshop, {\it Celestial Mechanics}. This is not intended to be a…
The perturbations of string-theoretic black holes are analyzed by generalizing the method of Chandrasekhar. Attention is focussed on the case of the recently considered charged string-theoretic black hole solutions as a representative…
S. Chandrasekhar wrote in the prologue to his book on black holes, "The black holes of nature are the most perfect macroscopic objects there are in the universe: the only elements in their construction are our concepts of space and time."…
The subject of the paper is the role of the massive stellar cluster in the activity phenomenon and in the structure of active galactic nuclei. We introduce a simple model of stellar dynamics in the internal part of the cluster, which allows…
Supermassive black holes have been discovered at the centers of galaxies, and also in globular clusters. The data shows correlations between the black hole mass and the elliptical galaxy mass or globular cluster mass. It is shown that this…
Dynamical friction governs the orbital decay of massive perturbers within galaxies and dark matter halos, yet its standard Chandrasekhar formulation fails in systems with cores of (roughly) constant density, where inspiral can halt or even…
We investigate the potential impact of mass inflation inside black holes on the dynamics of the Universe, considering a recent reformulation of general relativity, proposed in [1], which prevents the vacuum energy from acting as a…
A massive black hole resides in the center of most, perhaps all galaxies. The one in the center of our home galaxy, the Milky Way, provides a uniquely accessible laboratory for studying in detail the connections and interactions between a…
Black holes are among the most intriguing objects in modern physics. Their influence ranges from powering quasars and other active galactic nuclei, to providing key insights into quantum gravity. We review the observational evidence for…
A new theory of gravitational shocking based on time-dependent perturbation theory shows that the changes in energy and angular momentum due to a slowly varying disturbance are not exponentially small for stellar dynamical systems in…
Some of the contributions of Chandrasekhar to the field of magnetohydrodynamics are highlighted. Particular emphasis is placed on the Chandrasekhar-Kendall functions that allow a decomposition of a vector field into right- and left-handed…