On Tuesday, March 21, 2017 at 1:18:55 PM UTC-7, Steve Willner wrote:
In article ,
writes:
Is the NET angular momentum of a globular cluster of stars, zero?

OK, it can be difficult to communicate in words rather than pictures and
sketches.............trying again:

I'm just trying to get us on board for a qualitative exploration. Sure,
with ellipticals, as with globulars, there is a range of oblatness to
the spherical geometry. A flattened structure may (and may not) have
net angular momentum, it depends on whether there are stars rotating in
a preferred (or in counter rotational

e.g. the spiral ngc4138 is counter rotating, so it's possible for stars
in ellipticals to also have this feature
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NGC_4138)

directions about the flattened plane's normal axis. ie, we have E0
through E5 ellipticals.

BUT,

COMPARED TO.... a simple spiral disk, with no central bulge, with all
stars moving around a center in the SAME direction..........like
Saturn's rings. ........... an elliptical and or a globular have

ESSENTIALLY, ZERO angular momentum .

In other words, can we agree that if I have the same number of stars,
and the same orbital radii, ellipticity etc. for every star, with the
sole exception that the globular has stars that appear as spherical
morphology, where as a flat spiral has purely single angular momentum
axis.............

The globular will be nearly zero compared to the flat spiral.

Agreed? If so then I can move on.

rt