This paper discusses three new issues that necessarily arise in realistic attempts to apply nonlinear dynamics to galaxy evolution, namely: (i) the meaning of chaos in many-body systems, (ii) the time-dependence of the bulk potential, which can trigger intervals of {em transient chaos}, and (iii) the self-consistent nature of any bulk chaos, which is generated by the bodies themselves, rather than imposed externally. Simulations and theory both suggest strongly that the physical processes associated with galactic evolution should also act in nonneutral plasmas and charged particle beams. This in turn suggests the possibility of testing this physics in real laboratory experiments, an undertaking currently underway.
Download