view Abstract Citations (79) References (34) Co-Reads Similar Papers Volume Content Graphics Metrics Export Citation NASA/ADS Relativistic stellar dynamics on the computer. I - Motivation and numerical method Shapiro, S. L. ; Teukolsky, S. A. Abstract In the first part of the present work on the numerical solution of the Einstein (1939) equations for the dynamical evolution of a collisionless gas of particles in general relativity, in the case of spherically symmetric systems with arbitrarily strong gravitational field and particle velocities approaching the speed of light, the Vlasov equation is solved in general relativity by particle simulation. The gravitational field is integrated by means of the 3 + 1 formalism of Arnowitt et al. (1962). The method is found to be extremely accurate, even in the case of black hole formation. In the second part, the method is applied to spherical star clusters with attention to the stability of equilibrium configurations. Strong numerical evidence is obtained to the effect that, as in the case of fluid stars, the binding energy maximum along an equilibrium sequence signals the onset of dynamical instability. Unstable clusters, Newtonian polytropic clusters, and violent relaxation in the relativistic domain are also explored. Publication: The Astrophysical Journal Pub Date: November 1985 DOI: 10.1086/163587 Bibcode: 1985ApJ...298...34S Keywords: Astrodynamics; Black Holes (Astronomy); Computerized Simulation; Many Body Problem; Relativity; Star Clusters; Astronomical Models; Dynamical Systems; Gravitation Theory; Numerical Analysis; Astrophysics full text sources ADS |