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Chaos in orbits due to disk crossings
1Department of Mathematics, Florida State University, Tallahassee Florida 32306-4510, USA. hunter@math.fsu.edu
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
|June 28, 2005
Summary
Sudden gravitational changes during disk crossings can cause chaotic orbits for halo stars. Heavier galactic disks and halo shapes significantly influence the extent of this stellar chaos.
Area of Science:
- Astrophysics
- Galactic Dynamics
- Computational Astrophysics
Background:
- Galactic halos harbor stars whose orbits are influenced by galactic components.
- Understanding stellar dynamics is crucial for galactic evolution models.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if disk crossings induce chaos in halo star orbits.
- To determine factors influencing the onset and extent of orbital chaos.
Main Methods:
- Simulating halo star orbits in simplified galactic models (disk and halo).
- Analyzing the cumulative effects of gravitational accelerations during disk crossings.
- Experimenting with varying disk masses and halo flattening parameters.
- Utilizing a three-component Milky Way model with a central bulge.
Main Results:
- Disk crossings can induce chaos in a subset of halo star orbits.
- Chaotic orbits tend to remain near the disk and exhibit wide radial excursions.
- Increased disk mass and halo flattening enhance the degree of chaos.
- Halo prolateness is more effective than oblateness in generating chaos in central regions.
Conclusions:
- Cumulative gravitational effects at disk crossings are a source of orbital chaos for halo stars.
- Galactic structure, including disk mass, halo shape, and central bulge presence, significantly impacts stellar orbital dynamics and chaos.
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