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Adiabatic Invariants in Stellar Dynamics: I. Basic concepts

Martin D. Weinberg
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Abstract

The adiabatic criterion, widely used in astronomical dynamics, is based on the harmonic oscillator. It asserts that the change in action under a slowly varying perturbation is exponentially small. Recent mathematical results precisely define the conditions for invariance show that this model does not apply in general. In particular, a slowly varying perturbation may cause significant evolution stellar dynamical systems even if its time scale is longer than any internal orbital time scale. This additional `heating' may have serious implications for the evolution of star clusters and dwarf galaxies which are subject to long-term environmental forces. The mathematical developments leading to these results are reviewed, and the conditions for applicability to and further implications for stellar systems are discussed. Companion papers present a computational method for a general time-dependent disturbance and detailed example.

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Martin D. Weinberg. 1994-04-07. Adiabatic Invariants in Stellar Dynamics: I. Basic concepts. https://doi.org/10.1086/117161

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