Related papers: Loss Cone Dynamics
Galaxy modelling is greatly simplified by assuming the existence of a global system of angle-action coordinates. Unfortunately, global angle-action coordinates do not exist because some orbits become trapped by resonances, especially where…
The motion of stars in the gravitational potential of a triaxial galaxy is generically chaotic. However, the timescale over which the chaos manifests itself in the orbital motion is a strong function of the degree of central concentration…
The existence of compact stellar remnants in the mass range $2-5\,M_{\odot}$ has long been debated. This so-called lower mass gap was initially suggested by the lack of low-mass X-ray binary observations with accretors about…
Close encounters and physical collisions between stars in young dense clusters may lead to the formation of very massive stars and black holes via runaway merging. We examine critically some details of this process, using N-body simulations…
The rate of accretion of matter from a solar-type star onto a primordial black hole (PBH) that passes through it is calculated. The probability that a PBH is captured into an orbit around a star in a galaxy is found. The mean lifetime of…
This thesis embraces several aspects of theoretical stellar dynamics in clusters, both analytically and numerically. We try to elucidate the phenomena currently observed in all types of galaxies, including AGNs and quasars, some of the most…
A study is made of the behavior of massive black holes in disk galaxies that have received an impulsive kick from a merger or a sustained acceleration from an asymmetric jet. The motion of the gas, stars, dark matter, and massive black hole…
We study perturbations of black holes absorbing dark energy. Due to the accretion of dark energy, the black hole mass changes. We observe distinct perturbation behaviors for absorption of different forms of dark energy into the black holes.…
Stellar-mass black holes (BHs) can be retained in globular clusters (GCs) until the present. Simulations of GC evolution find that the relaxation driven mass-loss rate is elevated if BHs are present, especially near dissolution. We capture…
The effect of capture of a cosmic object by the central gravitational field of a galaxy cluster is described in the expanding Universe. The cosmic evolution can be the origin of the capture explaining formation of galaxies and their…
The correlation between the mass of supermassive black holes in galaxy nuclei and the mass of the galaxy spheroids or bulges (or more precisely their central velocity dispersion), suggests a common formation scenario for galaxies and their…
It is firmly established that the stellar mass distribution is smooth, covering the range 0.1-100 Msun. It is to be expected that the masses of the ensuing compact remnants correlate with the masses of their progenitor stars, and thus it is…
Rotation in massive stars has been studied on the main sequence and during helium burning for decades, but only recently have realistic numerical simulations followed the transport of angular momentum that occurs during more advanced stages…
Internal dynamical evolution can drive stellar systems into states of high central density. For many star clusters and galactic nuclei, the time scale on which this occurs is significantly less than the age of the universe. As a result,…
Massive gas-rich galaxy discs at $z \sim 1-3$ host massive star-forming clumps with typical baryonic masses in the range $10^7-10^8$~M$_{\odot}$ which can affect the orbital decay and concurrent growth of supermassive black hole (BH) pairs.…
The dynamics of stars in the inner regions of nearby globular clusters (GCs) such as G1 indicate the presence of central concentrated dark masses, and one would like to know whether these are indeed intermediate mass black holes (IMBHs). As…
The capture and subsequent inspiral of stellar mass black holes on eccentric orbits by central massive black holes, is one of the more interesting likely sources of gravitational radiation detectable by LISA. We estimate the rate of…
Orbits of close-in planets can shrink significantly due to dissipation of tidal energy in a host star. This process can result in star-planet coalescence within the Galactic lifetime. In some cases, such events can be accompanied by an…
The effects of rotation on low-metallicity stellar models are twofold: first, the models reach break-up during main sequence and may lose mass by mechanical process; second, strong internal mixing brings freshly synthesized elements towards…
Stars evolving around a supermassive black hole see their orbital orientations diffuse efficiently, a process called "vector resonant relaxation". In particular, stars within the same disc, i.e. neighbors in orientations, will slowly…