README

PHY5905 Project 2: Orbital Dynamics of Interacting Galaxies

Pratiksha Balasaheb Gaikwad, [email protected]

Natalia Guerrero, [email protected]

presentation slides

ODE solvers for 2-body problem

• R-K
• leapfrog

ODE solver requirements

• report error (on energy or orbital position)
• tune error tolerance for stability vs. speed

Solver with best error:

TBD

Improve solver generality:

• $ M_1 \ne M_2 $
• $ e > 0 $
• $ e = 1 $ (parabolic encounter)

Add stars

• 1-2 particles
• rings of massless test particles
  • rings can rotate with or against direction of galactic motion

Science!

• varying $R_0$, starting distance
• comparing stability during parabolic, eccentric orbits
• varying number, distribution of test particles
• unequal-mass galaxies
• conter-rotating stellar disk
• decaying orbits?