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https://www.ias.ac.in/article/fulltext/pram/077/01/0107-0118

Dark matter; galaxies; halos.

A few examples are given of Chandra’s work on statistical and stochastic problems that relate to open questions in astrophysics, in particular his theory of dynamical relaxation in systems with inverse-square interparticle forces. The roles of chaos and integrability in this theory require clarification, especially for systems having a dominant central mass. After this prelude, a hypothetical form of bosonic dark matter with a simple but nontrivial statistical mechanics is discussed. This makes for a number of eminently falsifiable predictions, including some exotic consequences for dynamical friction.

Jeremy Goodman¹ Zachary Slepian¹

1. Princeton University Observatory, Peyton Hall, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA

Published

July 2011