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An augmented density $\rho (r,\psi )$ treats radius and relative potential as independent variables and reduces to the physical density on $\psi =\psi (r)$. Its extension away from that curve contains additional orbital-anisotropy information. Different extensions can give the same physical density; physical realizability additionally requires a nonnegative galactic distribution function.

The Hernquist model has relative potential $\psi =GM/(r+a)$ and density $\rho =Ma/[2\pi r(r+a{)}^3]$. It has enclosed mass $M{r}^2/(r+a{)}^2$, a central $r^{-1}$ cusp and an outer $r^{-4}$ tail. Since $r\rho =a{\psi }^3/(2\pi G^3{M}^2)$, the half-anisotropic distribution function is $f(E,L)=3a{E}^2/(4{\pi }^3{G}^3{M}^{2}L)$ for $0<E<GM/a$. Its moments are $⟨v_r^2⟩=\psi /4$ and each tangential moment $\psi /8$. Isotropic and other admissible anisotropic distributions can also support this same density; the gravitational potential does not select a unique velocity anisotropy.

A Kuzmin disk is an infinitesimally thin axisymmetric astrophysical disk whose relative potential is $\psi =Gm/\sqrt{R^2+(|z|+b{)}^2}$, with $m,b>0$. Away from the disk this is a point-mass vacuum field. The jump of its vertical derivative is $-2Gmb/(R^2+b^2{)}^{3/2}$, so the Poisson equation for Newtonian gravity, written ${\nabla }^2\psi =-4\pi G\rho$, gives the displayed surface density. Integrating $2\pi R\Sigma$ gives total mass $m$.

For the spherical Abel deprojection, put $A_r=r^2+b^2$ and $s=(R^2+b^2)/A_r$. Then $d{R}^2=A_{r}ds$ and $\sqrt{R^2-r^2}=A_r^{1/2}\sqrt{s-1}$. Consequently the integral appearing in the reconstruction of $n$ isDifferentiate before substituting the numerical value of $I_{5/2}$:For the projected second stellar velocity moment, $N{\sigma }^2=N_0{\sigma }_0^2{b}^6(R^2+b^2{)}^{-3}$. The identical substitution in isotropic stellar pressure deprojection givesFor completeness, setting $t=1/s$ yields $I_{\alpha }=B(1/2,\alpha -1/2)$, where $B$ is the Euler beta function. The Gamma function recurrence gives $I_{5/2}=4/3$ and $I_3=3\pi /8$. This also checks the normalization of the power-law spherical projection kernel.

The radial Jeans equation is $p^{\prime }=n{\psi }^{\prime }$. Since $p^{\prime }=-105N_0{\sigma }_0^2{b}^{6}r/(16A_r^{9/2})$, division by the tracer number density givesWriting $A=315\pi {\sigma }_0^{2}b/128$, the total gravitational acceleration is thereforeTo find all gravitating mass density, apply the Poisson equation for Newtonian gravity, with the same sign convention:Equivalently, the enclosed mass is $M(r)=A{r}^3/[G(r^2+b^2{)}^{3/2}]$, and ${\rho }_{\mathrm{tot}}=M^{\prime }/(4\pi r^2)$. The inferred total mass is $A/G$ and its relative potential is $A/\sqrt{r^2+b^2}$, a Plummer model. The tracer number density has a different radial exponent from this total mass density. One must not multiply $n$ by an arbitrary stellar mass and identify it with all matter: the inferred field can include unobserved stars, gas, and dark matter.

The exponent of the point-mass weight is $\beta$, with $0<\beta <1$. At the origin the unreferenced relative potential has integrand $GB{b}^{\beta -1}$, whose integral diverges at its upper endpoint. In the origin-referenced potential the two terms cancel pointwise there. More generally, first form their difference at finite cutoffs and then pass to the limit. For any fixed nonzero $(R,z)$, the small-$b$ singular term is $-b^{\beta -1}$, which is integrable because $\beta >0$. At large $b$,so the weighted difference is integrable because $\beta <1$. Hence the referenced potential is well defined, and its value at the origin is zero. It is a potential difference for an infinite astrophysical disk, not a potential with zero at infinity. In fact rescaling all lengths shows ${\psi }_{II}(\lambda R,\lambda z)={\lambda }^{\beta }{\psi }_{II}(R,z)$; its finite values approach zero at the origin even though its force is singular there.

For $R>0$, differentiation under the convergent force integral in the plane givesUse $b=R\sqrt{t/(1-t)}$, for which $db=(R/2)t^{-1/2}(1-t{)}^{-3/2}dt$. The powers of $R$, $t$, and $1-t$ then givewhere the Euler beta function evaluates the constant asThe first Gamma function argument is $(1+\beta )/2$: it follows from adding one to the exponent of $t$. Both Euler beta function arguments are positive in the stated range.

For a circular orbit in the plane, $V^2/R=-{\partial }_R{\psi }_{II}$. The prescribed circular speed therefore fixes $C=K^2$ andIndependently, the Kuzmin reflection method givesHere the power of $b$ is one larger than in the force integral, so its Euler beta function arguments differ. Substituting the normalization fixed by the circular speed yieldsThis scale-free Kuzmin superposition has nonnegative surface density, finite central enclosed mass, and infinite total mass. Its force and surface density approach the Mestel disk values as $\beta \downarrow 0$; that limiting disk requires a different potential reference at the origin.

Use gravitational acceleration $\mathbf{g}=\nabla \psi$. Through the plane with upward unit normal, the signed gravitational flux per unit area of the point mass isThus its downward flux magnitude is $Gmb/(R^2+b^2{)}^{3/2}$. Subtracting a constant from the gravitational potential does not change this flux.

The Kuzmin reflection method gives the even relative potential $\psi =Gm/\sqrt{R^2+(|z|+b{)}^2}$. It is harmonic above and below the plane because the corresponding point masses lie outside the respective half-spaces. At the plane the derivative jump isIntegrating the Poisson equation for Newtonian gravity ${\nabla }^2\psi =-4\pi G\Sigma (R)\delta (z)$ through a thin layer, with $\delta$ the Dirac delta, equates this jump to $-4\pi G\Sigma$. ThereforeThis is a Kuzmin disk. As a check, its total mass is $2\pi {\int }_0^{\infty }R\Sigma (R)dR=m$.

Replace the point mass by $dm=\mu (b)db$ and superpose the Kuzmin disks. Linearity of the Poisson equation for Newtonian gravity gives, whenever the force integral converges,Both choices of potential reference give this same surface density. If the unreferenced potential diverges, perform the reference subtraction in each component before taking the integral limit; the force and the surface density may still be finite.

Use the relative potential $\Psi ={\Phi }_{\ast }-\Phi$ and integrate the stated, untruncated Maxwell-Boltzmann velocity distribution over ${\mathbb{R}}^3$. The normalization cancels its three Gaussian integrals:The gravitational potential sign reverses under the relative-potential convention, so the spherical Poisson equation for Newtonian gravity isAlso ${\Psi }^{\prime }=-Gm(r)/r^2$, with $m^{\prime }=4\pi r^2\rho$. Differentiating the density relation yieldsAn ideal gas with constant temperature has $P=\rho k_{B}T/m_0$. Its hydrostatic equilibrium equation is precisely the same whenTogether with the same enclosed-mass equation, central density and boundary conditions, this proves the isothermal stellar and gas density equivalence. In dimensionless terms, $y=-[\Psi -\Psi (0)]/{\sigma }^2$ and $x=r\sqrt{4\pi G\rho (0)}/\sigma$ obey $x^{-2}(x^2{y}^{\prime }{)}^{\prime }=e^{-y}$ with $y(0)=y^{\prime }(0)=0$ in both systems.

This calculation uses the distribution as printed for all velocities. Imposing an additional cutoff at positive relative energy changes the integral to ${\rho }_1[e^W\mathrm{erf}\sqrt{W}-2\sqrt{W}/\sqrt{\pi }]$, where $W=\Psi /{\sigma }^2\ge 0$, and no longer gives an exactly isothermal gas profile. An untruncated self-gravitating isothermal sphere also needs an outer modification for finite total mass. The function $\mathrm{erf}$ here is the error function. Finally, the half-line Gaussian integral printed in the note lacks a factor: the correct value is ${\int }_0^{\infty }{e}^{-\alpha x^2}dx=\frac{1}{2}\sqrt{\pi /\alpha }$.

For one target galaxy, an encounter with relative speed $u$ sweeps a cylinder of volume $\pi R^{2}udt$ in time $dt$. Multiplication by the number density gives the encounter rate $\Gamma =\pi R^{2}N⟨v_{\mathrm{rel}}⟩$. Thus the geometric galaxy-encounter rate givesThis is the expected number of mergers in the geometric model. For independent encounters, the Poisson process probability of at least one is $P_{\ge 1}=1-e^{-\mu }$, so the displayed linear probability is valid for rare encounters, $\mu \ll 1$. There is no factor of one-half for a single target; that factor would enter a count of distinct pairs across the whole population.

For an illustrative group environment, take $R=20\mathrm{kpc}=0.02\mathrm{Mpc}$, $N\sim 1{\mathrm{Mpc}}^{-3}$, $⟨v_{\mathrm{rel}}⟩\sim 300\mathrm{km}{\mathrm{s}}^{-1}$ and a Hubble time of order $10^{10}$ years, or $3\times 10^{17}\mathrm{s}$. The path length is about $9\times 10^{19}\mathrm{km}\simeq 3\mathrm{Mpc}$, using the stated distance conversion. HenceThe estimate scales linearly with environment density and quadratically with the adopted merger radius. It is an order-of-magnitude model estimate, not a universal observed merger fraction; reducing the illustrative density by a factor of one hundred reduces the estimate by the same factor.

For the tidal calculation, use the relative potential convention in which acceleration is $\nabla \psi$. Expand the point-mass potential about the target centre:The constant does not exert a force. The linear term accelerates the target centre and is subtracted in its freely falling frame. The remaining leading quadrupolar point-mass tidal potential isThe condition $r<r_p$ permits the convergent expansion; using only this term is the leading tidal approximation, accurate when the target radius is small compared with the closest separation.

The given impact and velocity directions imply ${\mathbf{r}}_p(t)=(p,0,vt)$. This trajectory is in the $x,z$ plane, correcting the incompatible printed $x,y$ plane. In the impulse approximation, hold the stellar position fixed while integrating the tidal tensor:For $s=vt/p$, the needed integrals arewith the mixed integral zero by oddness. Thus the integrated tidal tensor of a straight-line flyby is $2G{m}_p\mathrm{diag}(1,-1,0)/(v{p}^2)$ andThere is stretching along the impact direction, compression in the other transverse direction and no net kick along the path.

Write $\mathbf{u}$ for the star's initial velocity, distinguishing it from the perturber speed $v$. Its specific energy change is $\mathbf{u}\cdot \Delta \mathbf{v}+\frac{1}{2}|\Delta \mathbf{v}{|}^2$. The no-correlation assumption removes the first term on averaging; it is not an identity for every individual star. The mean specific heating at a given position is thereforeFor a spherical target, the mass-weighted averages satisfy $⟨x^2⟩=⟨y^2⟩=⟨z^2⟩=⟨r^2⟩/3$. The tidal impulse heating of a spherical galaxy is consequentlyHere $⟨r^2⟩=m_g^{-1}\int r^2\rho d^{3}r$ is assumed finite. Notice the change from specific energy to total energy after multiplying by $m_g$.

For two equal targets, each gains the same internal energy, so $\Delta U_{\mathrm{tot}}=8G^2{m}_g^3⟨r^2⟩/(3v^2{p}^4)$. Their relative-motion reduced mass is $m_g/2$. If $v$ denotes their relative speed at infinity, their initial orbital energy is $E_{\mathrm{orb}}=\frac{1}{2}(m_g/2)v^2=m_g{v}^2/4$. Internal tidal heating comes from this orbital energy. In the tidal capture of galaxies model, capture occurs if $\Delta U_{\mathrm{tot}}>E_{\mathrm{orb}}$, which gives the equal-mass tidal-capture thresholdCapture allows further passages and eventual merger in this simplified picture.

The encounter lasts roughly $p/v$. The impulse approximation needs $\Omega p/v\ll 1$, so that a star barely moves during the tide. When $v/p<\Omega$, stellar orbits respond during the perturbation and the kicks can cancel. Adiabatic invariance of an orbital action produces adiabatic shielding of tidal encounters, rather than the impulsive heating used above. The capture inequality cannot be extrapolated into that slow-encounter regime.

A spherically symmetric stellar model has no preferred direction in the tangent plane at a fixed radius. Rotations about the radial axis exchange its two transverse velocity directions, so $⟨v_{\theta }^2⟩=⟨v_{\varphi }^2⟩$. This uses spherical symmetry of the velocity distribution, not just a spherical mass density.

The augmented density $\rho (r,\psi )$ treats radius and relative potential as independent variables, agreeing with the physical density only along $\psi =\psi (r)$. For any regular bound spherical galactic distribution function $F(E,L)$, write $P_r=\int v_r^{2}F{d}^{3}v$ and $P_t=\int v_{\theta }^{2}F{d}^{3}v$. At fixed $r$, $F_{\psi }=F_E$ and ${\partial }_{v_r}F=-v_r{F}_E$. Integration by parts therefore givesFor $v_t^2=v_{\theta }^2+v_{\varphi }^2$, the velocity measure is $2\pi v_{t}d{v}_{t}d{v}_r$, and $r{F}_L={\partial }_{v_t}F+v_t{F}_E$. Integrating the transverse derivative gives $-2P_r$, while integrating the radial derivative in $\int v_r^2{v}_t^2{F}_E{d}^{3}v$ gives $2P_t$. Consequentlywhere $\psi$ is fixed. These identities show that the augmented representation holds for any such spherical distribution, not only a monomial ansatz. With radial pressure vanishing at the zero-binding boundary, set Along the physical curve, the chain rule gives $dA/dr={\int }_0^{\psi }{\partial }_r\rho (r,q)dq+\rho (r,\psi ){\psi }^{\prime }(r)$. The Spherical Jeans equation then requiresThus the Jeans moments from an augmented density areThe partial derivative holds $q$ fixed. Substitution cancels the integral of ${\partial }_r\rho$ and leaves precisely $\rho {\psi }^{\prime }$ in the Spherical Jeans equation. This is a representation by a chosen augmented density, not a unique solution determined by the one-variable density: different extensions off the physical curve encode different anisotropies, and not every formal extension necessarily gives a nonnegative galactic distribution function.

For the hypervirial density-potential family, differentiate the potential and use the spherical shell theorem:Differentiating $M(<r)$ and dividing by $4\pi r^2$ givesThe enclosed mass tends to $M$ at infinity and to zero at the centre for every $p>0$. The same result follows from ${\nabla }^2\psi =-4\pi G\rho$, with the stated sign convention.

From now on set $G=M=a=1$. The separable augmented density is $\rho (r,q)=(p+1)r^{p-2}{q}^{2p+1}/(4\pi )$. Integrating it givesand henceWith $\psi =(1+r^p{)}^{-1/p}$ these are the requested radial expressions. The velocity-anisotropy parameter is $\beta =1-p/2$, and the total mean square speed is $⟨v^2⟩=\psi /2$.

The local kinetic-energy density is $t=\rho ⟨v^2⟩/2=\rho \psi /4$. With the potential zero at infinity, the gravitational energy density is $w=\rho \Phi /2=-\rho \psi /2$, where $\Phi =-\psi$. ThereforeThis is the local virial relation of the hypervirial model, a special property stronger than the global virial theorem. To compute the global energies as well, set $I=\int \rho \psi d^{3}x$. The substitution $u=r^p$ yields the global binding integral of the hypervirial modelThe beta function integral converges for all $p>0$. ThusRestoring dimensions multiplies $I,T,W$ by $G{M}^2/a$.

To derive the hypervirial distribution function, let $E=\psi -v^2/2$ be the positive relative energy and $L=rv\sin \vartheta$ the magnitude of the specific angular momentum. Seek $F=C{L}^{p-2}{E}^s$ for $E>0$ and zero otherwise. Its density isThe angular integral is $\sqrt{\pi }\Gamma (p/2)/\Gamma ((p+1)/2)$. Substitution $z=v^2/(2\psi )$ makes the radial integralMatching the augmented-density power ${\psi }^{2p+1}$ gives $s=(3p+1)/2$. Matching its coefficient gives the normalization of the hypervirial distribution functionAll integrals are finite in velocity for $p>0$, and $C>0$. Because $E$ and $L$ are orbital integrals, this is a steady solution by the Jeans theorem. As checks, $p=1$ gives $C=3/(4{\pi }^3)$ for the Hernquist model, and $p=2$ gives $C=24\sqrt{2}/(7{\pi }^3)$ for the isotropic Plummer model.

The density and potential do not uniquely fix the stellar distribution. The preceding coefficient is fixed within the chosen separable power-law model, but nonuniqueness of spherical galactic distribution functions remains without that extra restriction. An explicit positive counterexample uses the same $p=2$ density. Define the Osipkov-Merritt distribution function variable $Q=E-L^2/2$ and takeRescale the transverse velocity by $\sqrt{1+r^2}$. Then $Q=\psi -[v_r^2+(1+r^2)v_t^2]/2$ and the velocity Jacobian contributes $(1+r^2{)}^{-1}$. Direct integration givesexactly the same Plummer model density. This anisotropic Plummer distribution with unit anisotropy radius has $\beta =r^2/(1+r^2)$, so it is distinct from the isotropic $E^{7/2}$ distribution while remaining positive and spherical. Its second moments differ, so it does not share the extra augmented-density and local-virial restrictions of the chosen hypervirial model.

Assume a time-independent spherical relative potential $\psi (r)$, with acceleration $\nabla \psi$. The relative energy and specific angular momentum areAlong an orbit, $\dot{E}=\nabla \psi \cdot \mathbf{v}-\mathbf{v}\cdot \nabla \psi =0$ and $\dot{\mathbf{\ell }}=\mathbf{r}\times \nabla \psi =0$, since a spherical gradient is radial. Thus both $E$ and $L$ are integrals of motion. Choose the escape level $\psi =0$ and take the bound galactic distribution function to vanish for $E\le 0$.

For an isotropic $f(E)$, integrate over a spherical coordinate system in velocity space:Differentiating gives ${\rho }^{\prime }(\psi )=2\pi \sqrt{2}{\int }_0^{\psi }f(E)/\sqrt{\psi -E}dE$. Convolve once more with the reciprocal-square-root kernel. Reversing the order of integration, under the usual integrability assumptions, usesTherefore ${\int }_0^{E_0}{\rho }^{\prime }(\psi )/\sqrt{E_0-\psi }d\psi =2\sqrt{2}{\pi }^2{\int }_0^{E_0}f(E)dE$. Differentiating proves Eddington inversion:Here ${\pi }^2$ is outside the square root, as in the original PDF; the TeX transcription wrongly places it inside. The assumptions include a locally integrable bound distribution and sufficient density regularity, with no extra unbound or boundary population. An inverted expression must additionally be nonnegative to be physical. Since the velocity measure and $f$ are invariant under all velocity rotations, $⟨v_r^2⟩=⟨v_{\theta }^2⟩=⟨v_{\varphi }^2⟩=⟨v^2⟩/3$ whenever these moments exist; mixed moments vanish.

For the half-anisotropic distribution function, write the polar velocity angle from the radial direction as $\eta$. Then $L=rv\sin \eta$, andThe apparent $1/L$ singularity is integrable because it cancels the factor $v\sin \eta$ in the velocity measure. Integrating $\eta \in [0,\pi ]$ and $\phi \in [0,2\pi ]$ givesThe density relation requires $r\rho \to 0$ at the escape boundary and $f_E\ge 0$ for a physical distribution. Consider a monotonically decreasing $\psi$. The largest allowed radius at fixed binding energy is the radial-orbit limit $r_E$ with $\psi (r_E)=E$; a nonzero-$L$ orbit normally has a smaller apocenter because of its centrifugal term. Changing from $\psi$ to $r$ givesThe numerator in the original PDF instead uses $\rho +d\rho /d\psi$. That is a genuine printed error: the chain rule for $d(r\rho )/d\psi$ requires $\rho +rd\rho /dr$. It is not legitimate to prove the printed expression as written. A concrete counterexample is the unit-parameter Hernquist model at $r=1$: ${\psi }^{\prime }=-1/4$, ${\rho }^{\prime }=-(5/2)\rho$ and $d\rho /d\psi =10\rho$. The printed quotient is $-44\rho$, whereas the correct $g$ is $6\rho >0$. The former would give a negative distribution.

The angular weight after cancellation is uniform in $\eta$, so the averages of ${\cos }^2\eta$ and ${\sin }^2\eta$ are both $1/2$. The azimuthal angle splits the tangential term equally. Hence $⟨v_r^2⟩=⟨v_{\theta }^2+v_{\varphi }^2⟩$ and each individual tangential moment is half the radial one. The velocity-anisotropy parameter is consequentlyThis is a radially biased constant-anisotropy distribution function, not an isotropic one or purely radial motion. It does not by itself prove dynamical stability; it preferentially weights small angular momentum while remaining integrable.

For the Hernquist model, use the Poisson equation for Newtonian gravity with the relative-potential sign, ${\nabla }^2\psi =-4\pi G\rho$. Since ${\psi }^{\prime }=-GM/(r+a{)}^2$,Its enclosed mass is $M{r}^2/(r+a{)}^2$, which tends to $M$. Expressing the augmented density in the relative potential gives $r\rho =a{\psi }^3/(2\pi G^3{M}^2)$. The preceding derivative therefore giveswith zero bound-model population outside the allowed energy domain. It is nonnegative and reproduces the density by direct integration. The Hernquist model has a central density cusp, so the formulas for the local $1/L$ distribution are interpreted at $r>0$. As a further check, the radial second moment obtained from the same integral is $\psi /4$ and each tangential second moment is $\psi /8$, consistent with $\beta =1/2$.

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.

Subtracting the constant and uniform-acceleration terms from the point-mass relative potential gives ${\psi }_{\mathrm{tid}}=G{m}_p[3(\mathbf{r}\cdot {\hat{\mathbf{r}}}_p{)}^2-r^2]/(2r_p^3)$, with force convention $\nabla \psi$. Its tidal tensor is $G{m}_p(3{\hat{\mathbf{r}}}_p{\hat{\mathbf{r}}}_p^T-I)/r_p^3$. This is the leading term for target size small compared with separation.

For $B>0$ and $0<\beta <1$, the unreferenced relative potential of the Kuzmin reflection method diverges at large $b$. Referencing each component to the origin before integrating gives the finite potential differenceAt small $b$ the subtraction is integrable because $\beta >0$; at large $b$ the difference is $O(b^{-2})$, integrable because $\beta <1$. Its plane force is ${\partial }_R\psi =-C{R}^{\beta -1}$, where $C=(GB/2)B((1+\beta )/2,1-\beta /2)$. A circular speed $V=K{R}^{\beta /2}$ fixes $C=K^2$, givingThe beta function substitutions for the force and surface density have different exponents. Its central mass is locally finite, but its total mass diverges at large radius; a potential zero at infinity cannot be imposed. The force and density approach those of the Mestel disk as $\beta \downarrow 0$.