Dynamical friction
contributor: AAS Frey.Katie
alternative label: Gravitational drag
broader: Gravitational interaction
definition: The gravitational interaction between a relatively massive body and a field of much less massive bodies through which the massive body travels. As a result, the moving body loses momentum and kinetic energy. An example of dynamical friction is the sinking of massive stars to the center of a star cluster, a process called mass segregation. Dynamical friction plays an important role in stellar dynamics. It was first quantified by Chandrasekhar (1943).
modified: 2020-11-03T20:27:16.328Z
modified: 2020-11-03T20:27:00.842Z
type: Concept

Gravitational interaction
type: Concept
narrower: Dynamical friction