Re: Thermal Energy - thermalization of rotational energy

[John Mallinckrodt <ajmallinckro@CSUPOMONA.EDU>]

A correction--or at least an expression of doubt ...

On Thu, 7 Mar 2002, I wrote:

> ... Bulk rotational energy can ... increase (as in stellar
> formation) and it can decrease (as in the transition to a red
> giant phase or in a supernova. ...

While it certainly it is true that bulk rotational energy of an
isolated system can decrease, I'm no longer so sure about these
examples.  Both red giants and supernova have or leave behind VERY
dense corse, so it may well be that the bulk rotational kinetic
energy actually increases.  For instance, I did a crude
calculation which suggests that the rotational energy of the Crab
pulsar is something like 5 orders of magnitude greater than that
of the Sun.

John Mallinckrodt      mailto:ajm@csupomona.edu
Cal Poly Pomona          http://www.csupomona.edu/~ajm