AV411 Navigation Systems and Sensors

Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology

Thiruvananthapuram

Assignment 12
Rigid Body Basics

Department of Avionics

Hariprasaadh D S
SC18B116
R.NO:42
 Question 1
Discuss how flattening of galaxy can be explained by conservation of angular moment

Answer:
Galaxies form from a massive accumulation of interstellar gases. Because these gas particles have mass,
a gravitational pull will apply on all of these particles scattered across very enormous astronomical
distances. Because of the gravitational attraction, these gases would want to gravitate towards their
centre of mass. This would need billions of years.

Over the course of time, these gases start to condense. However, these gases where oriented asym-
metrically at the beginning of galaxy formation. Thus, all the the internal forces does-not cancel out
each other. It means that at some level during the galaxy formation, there would some net force in an
arbitrary direction. This would mean that there would be a net acceleration in that direction and this
would lead to spinning of the interstellar gases and the entire galaxy. Initially the angular velocity would
be very slow. As millions and millions of years go by, the gases would condense more and more and the
spinning would continue as we have an angular momentum. In the outer-space, there are no opposing
forces or torques or impulses w.r.t this angular momentum. It means that the angular momentum would
continue forever unless it crashes with another galaxy. Thus, the rotation would not stop and as the gases
condenses and gets smaller and smaller, the Moment of Inertia of the system decrease and to conserve
the angular momentum, the angular velocity of the entire system will increase. As it gets smaller and
smaller (w.r.t interstellar distances), the system starts looking more spherical. As this spherical system
is spinning, the outward centrifugal forces at the equator are greater than that towards the poles as it
is proportional to the distance from the axis of rotation. Since galaxies are a system of gases (they can
easy move with force)and as the outward forces are greater at the equator, the system starts flattening
out at the equatorial plane. It is similar to pizza dough when tossed in air along with a spin, it flattens
out.

Figure 1: Galaxy

2
 There are elaborate theories about formation of galaxies but almost all of them predict that it is the
cumulative gravitational force that pulls matter which causes formation of dense gas clouds. As these
dense gas clouds come together, gravitational force manifests as centripetal force causing these gas clouds
to rotate around the centre. More technically, the galaxy is said to be in linear formation stage and a
tidal torque is said to act on the galactic gas disc causing the disc to rotate.
The law of conservation of angular momentum states says that angular momentum of a uniformly
rotating body is conserved unless acted upon by an external torque. Now, here in the formation of
the galaxy, the galactic disc rotates almost uniformly with tidal torque which is intrinsic to the system.
There’s no outside torque acting on the disc which makes it rotate. The origin of the tidal torque which
is primarily due to gravity is intrinsic to the system. Hence, angular momentum of the galaxy has to be
conserved just like any other uniformly rotating body.

Figure 2: Flattening of Galaxy

There are modern and more polished theories about how angular momentum in galaxies is distributed
and also better theories that explain detailed effects and consequences of tidal torque effect. But every
one of them states that angular momentum is conserved. Why ? Because it is uniformly rotating body
with no external torque to disturb it’s state. Why it doesn’t lose it’s energy as it rotates ? That merits
a separate discussion involving concepts of dark matter halo, adiabatic contraction, black hole formation
etc. But it should be clear that as long as there manifestation of gravity as centripetal force that causes
the galaxy to rotate uniformly, it’s angular momentum will always remain conserved.

Figure 3: Side View of Galaxy Formation