2016MNRAS.462.2138F

We developed a numerical method to compute the gravitational field of a general axisymmetric object. The method (i) numerically evaluates a double integral of the ring potential by the split quadrature method using the double exponential rules, and (ii) derives the acceleration vector by numerically differentiating the numerically integrated potential by Ridder's algorithm. Numerical comparison with the analytical solutions for a finite uniform spheroid and an infinitely extended object of the Miyamoto-Nagai density distribution confirmed the 13- and 11-digit accuracy of the potential and the acceleration vector computed by the method, respectively. By using the method, we present the gravitational potential contour map and/or the rotation curve of various axisymmetric objects: (i) finite uniform objects covering rhombic spindles and circular toroids, (ii) infinitely extended spheroids including Sersic and Navarro-Frenk-White spheroids, and (iii) other axisymmetric objects such as an X/peanut-shaped object like NGC 128, a power-law disc with a central hole like the protoplanetary disc of TW Hya, and a tear-drop-shaped toroid like an axisymmetric equilibrium solution of plasma charge distribution in an International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor-like tokamak. The method is directly applicable to the electrostatic field and will be easily extended for the magnetostatic field. The FORTRAN 90 programs of the new method and some test results are electronically available.