Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2014/iii/paper-57/2/b/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2014 iii Paper 57 2 b Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
Without gas drag, the dispersion relation factorizes as . There is a neutral branch and two density-wave branches. If , the waves have ; if , one root is and the dust layer is gravitationally unstable.
For , complete the square in the wavenumber magnitude:The minimum occurs at . Thus the Toomre stability criterion isAt the minimizing mode is marginal. For there is no growing axisymmetric wave in this razor-thin, pressure-supported, drag-free model. The unstable band for isIn a finite layer, this band must contain an admissible mode; the continuum statement assumes an adequately large domain.
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