Date of Award
2013
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Physics
Committee Chair
Richard Lieu
Committee Member
Jack Fix
Committee Member
Max Bonamente
Committee Member
James Baird
Committee Member
Kenneth Howell
Committee Member
Leland Cseke
Subject(s)
Dark energy (Astronomy), Cosmology, Expanding universe, Big bang theory, Astrophysics
Abstract
It is shown that at sufficiently large radii dark energy modifies the behavior of (a) bound orbits around a galaxy, and (b) virialized gas in a cluster of galaxies. In (a), there exists a maximum circular orbit beyond which periodic motion is no longer possible, and the evolution of orbits near critical binding is analytically calculable using an adiabatic invariant integral. The finding may have application to wide galaxy pairs. In (b), dark energy necessitates the use of the generalized Virial Theorem to describe gas at the outskirts of a cluster. As a result, gas at a radius of 4 Mpc or above will readily escape. A simple model indicates that this mechanism can lead to mass loss via an outflow.
Recommended Citation
Lackeos, Kristen, "Bound orbits and virialized systems in a dark energy universe" (2013). Dissertations. 31.
https://louis.uah.edu/uah-dissertations/31