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The separated disk modes. Away from the plane of a razor-thin disk, there is no volume source, so the Newtonian gravitational potential obeys the Laplace equation in cylindrical coordinates. Separation of variables givesHere $k>0$ is a radial wavenumber, with units of inverse length. Regularity on the axis selects the Bessel function of the first kind $J_0(kR)$ rather than the singular second solution. Decay away from the disk, continuity across it and reflection symmetry select $Z=e^{-k|z|}$. These conditions apply to each nonzero-wavenumber mode; a uniform sheet is a separate zero-mode problem.

Integrate the Poisson equation for Newtonian gravity across the disk to obtain the jump conditionFor the unit-amplitude separated mode, the jump is $-2k{J}_0(kR)$. ThusAn individual basis density is signed; positive physical surface densities are built by superposition.

An arbitrary axisymmetric surface density. Define its order-zero Hankel transform byMatching the coefficients of the mode densities gives the Hankel representation of thin-disk gravity,The boundary conditions exclude added external fields. For sufficiently decaying surface density, this is the isolated-disk potential; for infinite scale-free disks, only potential differences or regularized forces need be finite.

The Mestel disk. Put $C={\Sigma }_0{R}_0$. The Bessel function integral ${\int }_0^{\infty }{J}_0(k{R}^{\prime })d{R}^{\prime }=1/k$, understood with a decaying regulator, gives $\hat{\Sigma }=C/k$. Differentiate the potential before removing the regulator and use $J_0^{\prime }=-J_1$:The last integral is $1/R$, since ${\int }_0^{\infty }{J}_1(u)du=[-J_0(u){]}_0^{\infty }=1$. Therefore the circular speed and enclosed mass areConsequently $v_c^2=GM(R)/R$. This equality follows from the specific Mestel disk calculation; the spherical shell theorem cannot be applied to general disks. Its total mass and absolute potential referenced to infinity diverge. A convenient finite midplane reference is $\Phi (R,0)=v_0^2\log (R/R_0)$.

The rotating distribution function. Use specific energy $E=(v_R^2+v_{\varphi }^2)/2+\Phi$ and $L_z=R{v}_{\varphi }$. For the printed positive exponential, take $\epsilon =-E$ and $s:=\sigma >0$; $s$ has units of squared velocity. If instead $\epsilon$ means ordinary total energy and $\sigma >0$, the velocity integral diverges, so that literal convention cannot define the requested galactic distribution function. Equivalently one can retain ordinary energy and choose the printed $\sigma$ negative.

With the binding-energy convention, write the amplitude as $A$ to distinguish it from the function:Integration over both radial velocities and positive azimuthal velocities givesThe half-line integral follows by setting $u=v_{\varphi }^2/(2s)$ in the defining Gamma function integral and requires $q>-1$. Matching its radial power and normalization to the Mestel disk yields the rotating Mestel disk distribution function parametersSince $v_0^2,s>0$, the required integrability condition is automatic. The amplitude uses the stated potential reference; changing the additive potential constant changes $A$ without changing the physical distribution.