On the total kinetic energy of our galaxy

✍ Scribed by S. Ninković

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1992
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 471 KB
• Volume: 313
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0004-6337
• DOI: 10.1002/asna.2113130206

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

The total kinetic energy of the Galaxy is estimated from the potential energy by applying the virial theorem. The limits of the potential energy depend strongly on the value of the local escape velocity. They are estimated to be between −7. 10^16^ M~Ȯ~ km^2^s^−2^ and −1. 10^16^ M~Ȯ~ km^2^s^−2^ (escape velocity approximately between 450 km s^−1^ and 600 km s^−1^). The specific kinetic energy of the Galaxy as a whole is most likely about 21 000 km^2^s^−2^, being equally distributed among the subsystems if the local escape velocity is near its lower limit; the higher the local escape velocity is, the higher is the specific kinetic energy of the Galaxy due to the influence of the dark corona. The specific kinetic energy of the dark corona tends to become equal to that of the Galaxy as a whole for very high values of the local escape velocity. For the purpose of estimating the totl potential energy of the Galaxy, inter alia, a new model of the Milky Way is developed, which yields both the potential and the density analytically so that it is suitale for calculating the galactocentric orbits.