Related papers: Building galaxy models with Schwarzschild method a…
We introduce a novel implementation of orbit-based (or Schwarzschild) modeling that allows dark matter density profiles to be calculated non-parametrically in nearby galaxies. Our models require no assumptions to be made about velocity…
In previous work we have presented Schwarzschild models of the Sculptor dSph, demonstrating that this system could be embedded in dark matter halos that are either cusped or cored. Here we show that the non-parametric distribution function…
Luminous galaxies and their dark halos are likely to have triaxial shapes. The construction of distribution functions for triaxial systems is a hard problem, due to the existence of only one exact integral of motion, the energy $E$. Even…
We construct triaxial dynamical models for the Milky Way nuclear star cluster using Schwarzschild's orbit superposition technique. We fit the stellar kinematic maps presented in Feldmeier et al. (2014). The models are used to constrain the…
The regular or chaotic dynamics of an analytical realistic three dimensional model composed of a spherically symmetric central nucleus, a bar and a flat disk is investigated. For describing the properties of the bar we introduce a new…
In the static and infalling spherical-shell models of optically thin accretion on Schwarzschild black hole, the formulas for the integrated intensities observed by a distant observer are derived, and by taking the monochromatic emission…
In this work we estimate the parameters of several astrophysical black holes hosted at the core of active galactic nuclei by studying the kinematics of test objects in their accretion disk. First, we derive expressions for the redshift and…
A generalized Newtonian potential is derived from the geodesic motion of test particles in Schwarzschild spacetime. This potential reproduces several relativistic features with higher accuracy than commonly used pseudo-Newtonian approaches.…
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 present a novel approach to the numerical computation of quasi-normal modes, based on the first-order (in radial derivative) formulation of the equations of motion and using a matrix version of the continued fraction method. This…
We present a generalized Newtonian description of particle dynamics valid for any spherically symmetric, static black hole spacetime. This approach is derived from the geodesic motion of test particles in the low-energy limit. It reproduces…
Dynamical modelling can be used to constrain the masses of central black holes; however, modelling massive galaxies is challenging due to their complexity. In this work, we report six new supermassive black hole mass measurements of massive…
In recent years, significant progress has been made in building new galaxy clusters samples, at low and high redshifts, from wide-area surveys, particularly exploiting the Sunyaev--Zel'dovich (SZ) effect. A large effort is underway to…
Recent observational and theoretical breakthroughs make this an exciting time to be working towards understanding the physics of galaxy formation. The goal of this review is to make the principles behind the hierarchical paradigm accessible…
Spherical models of collisionless but quasi-relaxed stellar systems have long been studied as a natural framework for the description of globular clusters. Here we consider the construction of self-consistent models under the same physical…
The high redshift observations of galaxies now becoming available from the Hubble Space Telescope and from large ground based telescopes are opening fresh windows on galaxy formation. Semianalytic models of galaxy formation provide us with…
We develop a perturbation theory for surfaces confining photons and massive particles in static spherically symmetric spacetimes in terms of two parameters: the mass-to-energy ratio and the deviation of metric functions from a given form,…
We classify orbits of stars that are bound to central black holes in galactic nuclei. The stars move under the combined gravitational influences of the black hole and the central star cluster. Within the sphere of influence of the black…
Most general relativity textbooks devote considerable space to the simplest example of a black hole containing a singularity, the Schwarzschild geometry. However only a few discuss the dynamical process of gravitational collapse, by which…
The shearing sheet model of a galactic disk is studied anew. The theoretical description of its dynamics is based on three building blocks: Stellar orbits, which are described here in epicyclic approximation, the collisionless Boltzmann…