College Physics ›› 2017, Vol. 36 ›› Issue (1): 33-36.doi: 10.16854 /j.cnki.1000-0712.2017.01.011

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Estimating mass of globular cluster using the virial theorem

GAO Xin-hua,XU Shou-kun   

  1. School of Information Science and Engineering,Changzhou University,Changzhou,Jiangsu 213164,China
  • Received:2016-02-26 Revised:2016-05-26 Online:2017-01-20 Published:2017-01-20

Abstract: The virial theorem can be used to analyze the kinetic and potential energy of N-body gravitating system,which is widely used in astrophysics. Globular clusters have reached dynamical equilibrium through long-term two-body relaxation. We estimate the dynamical masses of four globular clusters NGC 1851,NGC 1904, NGC 7099 and NGC 5964 based on high-precision radial velocities and the virial theorem. The dynamical masses of the four clusters are 0. 99×10 5 M⊙ ,0 . 54×10 5 M⊙ ,0. 44×10 5M⊙ and 4. 88×10 5 M⊙ ,respectively.

Key words: virial theorem, globular cluster, radial velocity