G. Davies et Lm. Widrow, TEST-BED SIMULATIONS OF COLLISIONLESS SELF-GRAVITATING SYSTEMS USING THE SCHRODINGER METHOD, The Astrophysical journal, 485(2), 1997, pp. 484-495
The Schrodinger method is a novel approach for modeling numerically se
lf-gravitating, collisionless systems that may have certain advantages
over N-body and phase-space methods. In particular, smoothing is part
of the dynamics and not just the force calculation This paper describ
es test-bed simulations which illustrate the viability of the Schrodin
ger method, We develop the techniques necessary to handle ''hot'' syst
ems as well as spherically symmetric systems, a number of experiments
are performed and direct comparisons are made to results obtained usin
g a simple shell code. We demonstrate that the method can adequately m
odel a stable, equilibrium star cluster by constructing and then evolv
ing a Plummer sphere, We also follow the evolution of a system from no
nequilibrium initial conditions as it attempts to reach a state of vir
ial equilibrium, Finally, we make a few remarks concerning the dynamic
s of axions and other bosonic dark matter candidates. The Schrodinger
method, in principle, provides an exact treatment of these fields. How
ever, such ''scalar field'' simulations are feasible and warranted onl
y if the de Broglie wavelength of the particle is comparable to the si
ze of the system of interest, a situation that is almost certainly not
the case for axions in the Galaxy. The dynamics of axions is therefor
e no different from that of any other system of collisionless particle
s, We challenge recent claims in the literature that axions in the Gal
axy form soliton stars.