Possible formation mechanism of multistate gravitational atoms

TL;DR

This paper investigates how collisions of orthogonal ground state solutions in the Schrödinger-Poisson system can lead to the formation of multistate gravitational atoms with mixed spherical and dipolar components, through numerical simulations.

Contribution

It introduces a novel formation mechanism for multistate solutions of the Schrödinger-Poisson system via head-on collisions of equilibrium states, supported by numerical simulations.

Findings

Less massive configurations pinch off the more massive ones.

Density redistributes along the collision axis.

Resulting density resembles bi-state equilibrium configurations.

Abstract

The collision of two equilibrium ground state solutions of the Schr\"odinger-Poisson (SP) system, in orthogonal states, is proposed as a formation mechanism of mixed state solutions of the SP system with spherical and first dipolar components. The collisions are simulated by solving numerically the SP system for two orthogonal states, considering head-on encounters, and using various mass ratios between the initial configurations with different head-on momentum. The results indicate that the less massive of the configurations pinches-off the more massive one, and redistributes its density along the axis of collision. The averaged in time density of the two states resembles the distribution of matter of bi-state equilibrium configurations with monopolar and dipolar contributions.