Revisiting the Surface Brightness Profile of the Stellar Disk with the Statistical Mechanics of the Self-Gravitating System with the Central Body.

Abstract

We have explored the exponential surface brightness profile (SBP) of stellar disks, a topic extensively discussed by many authors yet seldom integrated with the study of correlations between black holes, bulges, and entire disks. Building upon our prior work in the statistical mechanics of disk-shaped systems and aligning with methodologies from other research, we analyze the influence of the central body. This analysis reveals analytical relationships among black holes, bulges, and the entire stellar disk. Additionally, we incorporate a specific angular momentum distribution (SAMD) that aligns more closely with observational data, showing that for the self-gravitating disk, with the same surface density, a reduction in its spin results in only a slight decrease in its radius, whereas with the same SAMD, an increment in its spin significantly limits its extent. A key feature of our model is its prediction that the surface density profile of an isolated disk will invariably exhibit downbending at a sufficient distance, a hypothesis that future observations can test. Our refined equations provide a notably improved fit for SBPs, particularly in the central regions of stellar disks. While our findings underscore the significance of statistical mechanics in comprehending spiral galaxy structures, they also highlight areas in our approach that warrant further discussion and exploration.