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Chandrasekhar Dynamical Friction

A perturber moves through a Maxwellian background of test particles. Gravitational focusing builds an overdense wake behind it; the back-reaction is Chandrasekhar dynamical friction, $a_{fric} \propto \rho \ln(\Lambda) f(X)$ with $X = V / (\sqrt{2}\sigma)$. The perturber visibly decelerates.

Figure 1. Chandrasekhar Dynamical Friction.

WHAT TO TRY

  • Vary each control and watch the rail readouts respond.
  • Compare the diagnostic plot against the live scene.