Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2024 / iii / Paper 349 / 3 / Solution

A galactic distribution function $f(\mathbf{x},\mathbf{v},t)$ is the stellar mass or number per six-dimensional phase space volume,Its velocity moments give the spatial density, mean velocity, and velocity dispersion; integrating those quantities along the line of sight and weighting by luminosity produces surface-brightness and line-of-sight-velocity observables. A model is compared with data only after the same projection, selection function, and instrumental convolution have been applied.

Jeans theorem states that every steady solution of the Collisionless Boltzmann equation depends on phase-space coordinates only through integrals of motion. Conversely, every nonnegative function of isolating integrals is a steady collisionless distribution function on the region where those integrals are defined.

For the stated power law in relative energy, isotropy givesWith the requested change of variables $v=\sqrt{2\Psi }\cos \theta$, the density becomeswhere the last equality uses the Beta function and Gamma function. Thusfor $n>1/2$.

The normalized second velocity moment isThe same substitution and the Beta-function recurrence giveConsequently the one-dimensional isotropic velocity dispersion is ${\sigma }^2=\overline{v^2}/3=\Psi /(n+1)$, proving the required linear dependence on the relative potential.