Mass segregation
Encyclopedia
In astronomy
, dynamical mass segregation is the process by which heavier members of a gravitationally bound system, such as a star cluster
or cluster of galaxies
, tend to move toward the center, while lighter members tend to move farther away from the center. Primordial mass segregation is non-uniform distribution of masses present at the formation of a cluster. After relaxation, all trace of primordial mass segregation is lost. In geochemistry
, mass segregation leads to the chemical differentiation of planets above a critical size, between a heavy metallic core
and a rocky outer mantle
and crust
.
and momentum
. Although energy can be exchanged in either direction, there is a statistical tendency for the kinetic energy
of the two members to equalize during an encounter; this statistical phenomenon is called equipartition, and is similar to the fact that the expected kinetic energy of the molecules of a gas are all the same at a given temperature.
Since kinetic energy is proportional to mass times the square of the speed, equipartition requires the less massive members of a cluster to be moving faster. The more massive members will thus tend to sink into lower orbits (that is, orbits closer to the center of the cluster), while the less massive members will tend to rise to higher orbits.
The time it takes for the kinetic energies of the cluster members to roughly equalize is called the relaxation time
of the cluster, which is on the order of 100 million years for a typical globular cluster
with radius 10 parsec
s consisting of 100 thousand stars.
of the cluster, which results in these members being lost to the cluster. This process is called evaporation. (A similar phenomenon explains the loss of lighter gases from a planet, such as hydrogen and helium from the Earth—after equipartition, some molecules of sufficiently light gases at the top of the atmosphere will exceed the escape velocity of the planet and be lost.)
Through evaporation, most open cluster
s eventually dissipate, as indicated by the fact that most existing open clusters are quite young. Globular cluster
s, being more tightly bound, appear to be more durable.
is approximately 10 trillion years, on the order of thousand times the age of the galaxy itself. Thus, any observed mass segregation in our galaxy must be almost entirely primordial.
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
, dynamical mass segregation is the process by which heavier members of a gravitationally bound system, such as a star cluster
Star cluster
Star clusters or star clouds are groups of stars. Two types of star clusters can be distinguished: globular clusters are tight groups of hundreds of thousands of very old stars which are gravitationally bound, while open clusters, more loosely clustered groups of stars, generally contain less than...
or cluster of galaxies
Galaxy groups and clusters
Galaxy groups and clusters are the largest known gravitationally bound objects to have arisen thus far in the process of cosmic structure formation. They form the densest part of the large scale structure of the universe...
, tend to move toward the center, while lighter members tend to move farther away from the center. Primordial mass segregation is non-uniform distribution of masses present at the formation of a cluster. After relaxation, all trace of primordial mass segregation is lost. In geochemistry
Geochemistry
The field of geochemistry involves study of the chemical composition of the Earth and other planets, chemical processes and reactions that govern the composition of rocks, water, and soils, and the cycles of matter and energy that transport the Earth's chemical components in time and space, and...
, mass segregation leads to the chemical differentiation of planets above a critical size, between a heavy metallic core
Core
- Science and Academics :* Core , in mathematics, an object in group theory* Core , in mathematics, a subset of the domain of a closable operator* Core , in mathematics, the homomorphically minimal subgraph of a graph...
and a rocky outer mantle
Mantle (geology)
The mantle is a part of a terrestrial planet or other rocky body large enough to have differentiation by density. The interior of the Earth, similar to the other terrestrial planets, is chemically divided into layers. The mantle is a highly viscous layer between the crust and the outer core....
and crust
Crust
Crust may refer to:* Crust * The Crust, television seriesPhysical sciences:* Crust , at least continent-wide structure* Soil crust, local biology-sensitive structureFood:* Crust, dense surface layer of bread...
.
Equipartition of kinetic energy
During a close encounter of two members of the cluster, the members exchange both energyEnergy
In physics, energy is an indirectly observed quantity. It is often understood as the ability a physical system has to do work on other physical systems...
and momentum
Momentum
In classical mechanics, linear momentum or translational momentum is the product of the mass and velocity of an object...
. Although energy can be exchanged in either direction, there is a statistical tendency for the kinetic energy
Kinetic energy
The kinetic energy of an object is the energy which it possesses due to its motion.It is defined as the work needed to accelerate a body of a given mass from rest to its stated velocity. Having gained this energy during its acceleration, the body maintains this kinetic energy unless its speed changes...
of the two members to equalize during an encounter; this statistical phenomenon is called equipartition, and is similar to the fact that the expected kinetic energy of the molecules of a gas are all the same at a given temperature.
Since kinetic energy is proportional to mass times the square of the speed, equipartition requires the less massive members of a cluster to be moving faster. The more massive members will thus tend to sink into lower orbits (that is, orbits closer to the center of the cluster), while the less massive members will tend to rise to higher orbits.
The time it takes for the kinetic energies of the cluster members to roughly equalize is called the relaxation time
Relaxation time
In the physical sciences, relaxation usually means the return of a perturbed system into equilibrium.Each relaxation process can be characterized by a relaxation time τ...
of the cluster, which is on the order of 100 million years for a typical globular cluster
Globular cluster
A globular cluster is a spherical collection of stars that orbits a galactic core as a satellite. Globular clusters are very tightly bound by gravity, which gives them their spherical shapes and relatively high stellar densities toward their centers. The name of this category of star cluster is...
with radius 10 parsec
Parsec
The parsec is a unit of length used in astronomy. It is about 3.26 light-years, or just under 31 trillion kilometres ....
s consisting of 100 thousand stars.
Evaporation
After relaxation, the speed of some low mass members can be greater than the escape velocityEscape velocity
In physics, escape velocity is the speed at which the kinetic energy plus the gravitational potential energy of an object is zero gravitational potential energy is negative since gravity is an attractive force and the potential is defined to be zero at infinity...
of the cluster, which results in these members being lost to the cluster. This process is called evaporation. (A similar phenomenon explains the loss of lighter gases from a planet, such as hydrogen and helium from the Earth—after equipartition, some molecules of sufficiently light gases at the top of the atmosphere will exceed the escape velocity of the planet and be lost.)
Through evaporation, most open cluster
Open cluster
An open cluster is a group of up to a few thousand stars that were formed from the same giant molecular cloud and have roughly the same age. More than 1,100 open clusters have been discovered within the Milky Way Galaxy, and many more are thought to exist...
s eventually dissipate, as indicated by the fact that most existing open clusters are quite young. Globular cluster
Globular cluster
A globular cluster is a spherical collection of stars that orbits a galactic core as a satellite. Globular clusters are very tightly bound by gravity, which gives them their spherical shapes and relatively high stellar densities toward their centers. The name of this category of star cluster is...
s, being more tightly bound, appear to be more durable.
In the Galaxy
The relaxation time of the Milky Way galaxyMilky Way
The Milky Way is the galaxy that contains the Solar System. This name derives from its appearance as a dim un-resolved "milky" glowing band arching across the night sky...
is approximately 10 trillion years, on the order of thousand times the age of the galaxy itself. Thus, any observed mass segregation in our galaxy must be almost entirely primordial.