Potential and force due to thin disk and spherical galaxies (Q1096434)

The determination of the potential and force due to a thin exponential model disk galaxy and a polytropic \(n=4\) model spherical galaxy are conducted in the light of the study of collision dynamics. Results indicate that the potential due to the sphere and the disk along its plane are equal at a distance of about 1/3 R, where R is the radius of either configuration. Interior to this distance, the potential due to the sphere is greater than that due to the disk and beyond this distance vice versa. These results are expected to lead to the construction of simple models for galaxies, useful in the study of collision dynamics.