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density wave

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density wave

In astrophysics, concept proposed to account for the existence of spiral arms in galaxies. In the density wave theory, stars in a spiral galaxy move in elliptical orbits in such a way that they crowd together in waves of temporarily enhanced density that appear as spiral arms. The idea was first proposed by Swedish astronomer Bertil Lindblad in the 1920s and developed by US astronomers Chia Lin and Frank Shu in the 1960s.



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The bright-white bands at left are the peaks of a density wave induced by the moon Janus.
Groovy Science: Cassini gets the skinny on Saturn's rings by Cowen, Ron / Science News
This disturbance is known as a density wave because it draws material together by gravitational attraction.
The sounds of spirals by Rowan, Ron / Science News
At temperatures within millikelvins of this critical point, the fluid fluctuates rapidly between liquid and vapor, creating density waves.
Creeping to a critical point; probing a liquid-vapor interface in a ... by Peterson, Ivars / Science News
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