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5 - Quasi-Circular Orbits

from Part I - Potential Theory

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 May 2021

Luca Ciotti
Affiliation:
Università degli Studi, Bologna, Italy
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Summary

This chapter presents the basic properties of quasi-circular orbits in axisymmetric stellar systems. In fact, axisymmetric models are often sufficiently realistic descriptions – beyond the zeroth-order spherical case – of elliptical and disk galaxies. The associated potentials (with a reflection plane, the equatorial plane) admit circular orbits, and in this chapter we focus on the properties of orbits slightly departing from perfect circularity, describing in some detail the second-order epicyclic approximation. We also derive, in a geometrically rigorous way, the expression of the Oort constants, important kinematical quantities related to the rotation curve of disk galaxies, and in particular to the orbit of the Sun around the center of the Milky Way.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2021

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  • Quasi-Circular Orbits
  • Luca Ciotti, Università degli Studi, Bologna, Italy
  • Book: Introduction to Stellar Dynamics
  • Online publication: 28 May 2021
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9780511736117.007
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  • Quasi-Circular Orbits
  • Luca Ciotti, Università degli Studi, Bologna, Italy
  • Book: Introduction to Stellar Dynamics
  • Online publication: 28 May 2021
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9780511736117.007
Available formats
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Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Quasi-Circular Orbits
  • Luca Ciotti, Università degli Studi, Bologna, Italy
  • Book: Introduction to Stellar Dynamics
  • Online publication: 28 May 2021
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9780511736117.007
Available formats
×