The behavior of the density near the center does not match observations of elliptical galaxies, which typically exhibit a diverging central density.
The ease with which the Plummer sphere can be realized as a [[Monte- Carlo modelmethod|Monte-Carlo methodmodel]] has made it a favorite choice of [[N-body simulation|N-body experimenters]], in spite of the model's lack of realism.<ref>Aarseth, S. J., Henon, M. and Wielen, R. (1974), [http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?bibcode=1974A%26A....37..183A A comparison of numerical methods for the study of star cluster dynamics.] ''Astronomy and Astrophysics'' '''37''' 183.</ref>