Non-extensive processes associated with heating of the Galactic disc
Abstract
We analyse the mechanisms ruling galactic disc heating through the dynamics of space velocities U, V and W, extracted from the Geneva-Copenhagen catalogue. To do this, we use a model based on non-extensive statistical mechanics, where we derive the probability distribution functions that quantify the non-Gaussian effects. Furthermore, we find that the deviation q -1 at a given stellar age follows a non-random behaviour. As a result, the q-index behaviour indicates that the vertical component W, perpendicular to the Galactic plane, does not "heat up" at random, which is in disagreement with previous works that attributed the evolution of W to randomness. Finally, our results bring a new perspective to this matter and open the way for studying Galactic kinematic components through the eyes of more robust statistical models that consider non-Gaussian effects.
- Publication:
-
EPL (Europhysics Letters)
- Pub Date:
- September 2020
- DOI:
- 10.1209/0295-5075/131/69002
- arXiv:
- arXiv:2009.03084
- Bibcode:
- 2020EL....13169002V
- Keywords:
-
- 98.10.+z;
- 97.20.Jg;
- 05.90.+m;
- Astrophysics - Solar and Stellar Astrophysics;
- Astrophysics - Astrophysics of Galaxies
- E-Print:
- 7 pages, 3 figures, 2 tables. Accepted to EPL