N-body simulations of gravitational dynamics

Abstract

We describe the astrophysical and numerical basis of N-body simulations, both of collisional stellar systems (dense star clusters and galactic centres) and collisionless stellar dynamics (galaxies and large-scale structure). We explain and discuss the state-of-the-art algorithms used for these quite different regimes, attempt to give a fair critique, and point out possible directions of future improvement and development. We briefly touch upon the history of N-body simulations and their most important results.

invited review (28 pages), to appear in European Physics Journal Plus

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Cited by in corpus (87)

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• The Local Dark Matter Density
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• What does the Bullet Cluster tell us about self-interacting dark matter?
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• Radial Migration in Galactic Thick Discs
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