Published online by Cambridge University Press: 25 April 2016
Both the radial and the velocity distributions of galaxies within rich clusters are well described by the isothermal distribution (e.g. Lewis 1978 and 1979). It is tempting to ascribe this apparently relaxed state to the operation of Lynden-BeU’s (1967) violent relaxation mechanism, during the initial coherent collapse on the proto-cluster, after it brakes itself against the universal expansion. This scenario explains the isothermal distribution observed in elliptical galaxies and globular clusters. When applied to a cluster of galaxies made up of baryons, however, the timescale for the scenario is comparable with the Hubble time H−1. The situation changes if most of the cluster mass is contributed by neutrinos.