4 ms·
> probably not so valid for stars as these interact via long range forces, not through collisions like molecules do I'm guessing it should be close enough due
by Florin_Andrei 10y ago
> probably not so valid for stars as these interact via long range forces, not through collisions like molecules do
I'm guessing it should be close enough due to the inverse square root law. Just the shape of hyperbolic trajectories should provide a clue.
> the stars that move too fast will escape the system so the equipartition cannot be sustained
Again, I think this one of those "close enough" things.
Reality tends to dislike either-black-or-white approaches.
- effie 10y agoThe inverse square root law is very different from intermolecular interaction. I do not see why the equipartition should be close enough to actual behaviour if the interactions are so much different. I am not sure how the shape of hyperbolic trajectories is of relevance for equipartition, since most of the stars in the cluster do not have such trajectories else it would disintegrate before it could achieve any sort of dynamical equilibrium.