Abstract
We argue that dynanical friction can be viewed as the drag eterted on a ‘test’ star by the wake it induces in the field stars. We compute the wakes for the uniform infinite medium and a flat rotating sheet. In the first case we obtain a result which differs by a factor of two from the classical results. In the second case the drag vanishes.
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Kalnajs, A.J. Polarization clouds and dynamical friction. Astrophys Space Sci 13, 279–283 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00649158
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00649158