Reduction,relative equilibria and potential in the two rigid bodies problem

In this paper the problem of two, and thus, after a generalization, of an arbitrary finite number, of rigid bodies is considered. We show that the Newton-Euler equations of motion are Hamiltonian with respect to a certain non-canonical structure. The system possesses natural symmetries. Using them we shown how to perform reduction of the number of degrees of freedom. We prove that on every stage of this process equations of motion are Hamiltonian and we give explicite form corresponding of non-canonical Poisson bracket. We also discuss practical consequences of the reduction. We prove the existence of 36 non-Lagrangean relative equilibria for two generic rigid bodies. Finally, we demonstrate that our approach allows to simplify the general form of the mutual potential of two rigid bodies.     

Mutual gravitational potential ofN solid bodies

The mutual gravitational potential ofN solid bodies is expanded without approximation in terms of harmonic coefficients of each body. As an application the Euler dynamical equations for the motion of the axis of figure of the rigid Earth are integrated analytically by the method of variation of parameters.     

New formulation of the two body problem using a continued fractional potential

In the present work, the two body problem using a potential of a continued fractions procedure is reformulated. The equations of motion for two bodies moving under their mutual gravity is constructed. The integrals of motion, angular momentum integral, center of mass integral, total mechanical energy integral are obtained. New orbit equation is obtained. Some special cases are followed directly. Some graphical illustrations are shown. The only included constant of the continued fraction procedure is adjusted so as to represent the so called J ₂ perturbation term of the Earth’s potential.     

Lie group variational integrators for the full body problem in orbital mechanics

Equations of motion, referred to as full body models, are developed to describe the dynamics of rigid bodies acting under their mutual gravitational potential. Continuous equations of motion and discrete equations of motion are derived using Hamilton’s principle. These equations are expressed in an inertial frame and in relative coordinates. The discrete equations of motion, referred to as a Lie group variational integrator, provide a geometrically exact and numerically efficient computational method for simulating full body dynamics in orbital mechanics; they are symplectic and momentum preserving, and they exhibit good energy behavior for exponentially long time periods. They are also efficient in only requiring a single evaluation of the gravity forces and moments per time step. The Lie group variational integrator also preserves the group structure without the use of local charts, reprojection, or constraints. Computational results are given for the dynamics of two rigid dumbbell bodies acting under their mutual gravity; these computational results demonstrate the superiority of the Lie group variational integrator compared with integrators that are not symplectic or do not preserve the Lie group structure.     

Mutual gravitational potential and torque of solid bodies via inertia integrals

The mutual gravitational potential and the mutual gravitational torque of two bodies of arbitrary shape are expanded to the fourth order. The derivations are based on Cartesian coordinates, inertia integrals with relation to the principal reference frames of each body, and the relative rotation matrix. The current formulation is convenient to utilize in high precision problems in rotational dynamics.     

The mutual potential and gravitational torques of two bodies to fourth order

The mutual gravitational potential of two bodies of arbitrary shape is expressed to fourth order in an extension of MacCullagh's Formula for a single body. The expressions for the gravitational torques acting on each body are derived in a form convenient for use in the differential equations describing the rotational dynamics.     

The motion of rotating spheroidal bodies in general relativity

The motion of two rotating spheroidal bodies, constituting the components of a binary system in a weak gravitational field, has been considered up to terms of the second order in the small parameterV/c, whereV denotes the velocity of the bodies andc is the velocity of light.The following simplifying assumptions, consistent with a problem of astronomical interest, have been made: (1) the dimensions of the bodies are small compared with their mutual distance; (2) the bodies consist of matter in the fluid state with internal hydrostatic pressure and their oblateness is due to their own rotation; (3) there exist axial symmetry about the axis of rotation and symmetry with respect to the equatorial plane, the same symmetry properties apply to mass densities and stress tensors.The Fock-Papapetrou method was used to ascertain those terms in the equations of motion which are due to the rotation and to the oblateness of each component. Approximate solutions to the Poisson and wave equations were obtained to express the potential and retarded potential at large distances from the bodies generating them. The explicit evaluation of certain integrals has necessitated the use of the Laplace-Clairaut theory for the equibrium configuration of rotating bodies. The final expressions require the knowledge of the mass density as a function of the mean radius of the equipotential surfaces.As an interpretation of the results, the Lagrangian perturbation equations were employed to evaluate the secular motion of the nodal line for the relative orbit of the two components. The results constitute a generalization of Fock's work and furnish the contribution of the mass distribution to the rotation effect of general relativity.     

On the determination of potential function

Szebehely's renowned equation given in 1974, allowing for potential determination from a given orbit or family of orbits, is proved to be equivalent with an equation deduced in 1963 by Drǎmbǎ. This basic equation in the inverse problem of dynamics, for which the denomination of Drǎmbǎ –Szebehely equation is proposed, is generalized for the motion in the n-dimensional Euclidean space. A method for the determination of the potential function from motion equations is extended to this space.     

Instability of the 2+2 body problem

The equations of motion of the 2+2 body problem (two interacting particles in the gravitational field of two much more massive primaries m₁ and m₂ in circular keplerian orbit) have an integral analogous to the Jacobi integral of the circular 2+1 body problem. We show here that with 2+2 bodies this integral does not give rise to Hill stability, i.e. to confinement for all time in a portion of the configuration space not allowing for some close approaches to occur. This is because all the level manifolds are connected and all exchanges of bodies between the regions surroundingm ₁,m ₂ and infinity do not contradict the conservation of the integral. However, it is worth stressing that some of these exchanges are physically meaningless, because they involve either unlimited extraction of potential energy from the binary formed by the small bodies (without taking into account their physical size) or significant mutual perturbations between the small masses without close approach, a process requiring, for the Sun-Jupiter-two asteroids system, timescales longer than the age of the Solar System.     

The general motion of three mutually-interacting,axisymmetric spherical rigid bodies

In this paper, the translational-rotational motions of an axisymmetric rigid body and two spherical rigid bodies under the influence of their mutual gravitational attraction are considered. The equations of motion in the canonical elements of Delaunay-Andoyer are obtained. The elements of motion in the zero and first approximations can be determined.     

The relative motion of two spheroidal rigid bodies

We consider two spheroidal rigid bodies of comparable size constituting the components of an isolated binary system. We assume that (1) the bodies are homogeneous oblate ellipsoids of revolution, and (2) the meridional eccentricities of both components are small parameters.We obtain seven nonlinear differential equations governing simultaneously the relative motion of the two centroids and the rotational motion of each set of body axes. We seek solutions to these equations in the form of infinite series in the two meridional eccentricities.In the zero-order approximation (i. e., when the meridional eccentricities are neglected), the equations of motion separate into two independent subsystems. In this instance, the relative motion of the centroids is taken as a Kepler elliptic orbit of small eccentricity, whereas for each set of body axes we choose a composite motion consisting of a regular precession about an inertial axis and a uniform rotation about a body axis.The first part of the paper deals with the representation of the total potential energy of the binary system as an infinite series of the meridional eccentricities. For this purpose, we had to (1) derive a formula for representing the directional derivative of a solid harmonic as a combination of lower order harmonics, and (2) obtain the general term of a biaxial harmonic as a polynomial in the angular variables.In the second part, we expound a recurrent procedure whereby the approximations of various orders can be determined in terms of lower-order approximations. The rotational motion gives rise to linear differential equations with constant coefficients. In dealing with the translational motion, differential equations of the Hill type are encountered and are solved by means of power series in the orbital eccentricity. We give explicit solutions for the first-order approximation alone and identify critical values of the parameters which cause the motion to become unstable.The generality of the approach is tantamount to studying the evolution and asymptotic stability of the motion.Research performed under NASA Contract NAS5-11123.     

On the planar motion in the full two-body problem with inertial symmetry

Relative motion of binary asteroids, modeled as the full two-body planar problem, is studied, taking into account the shape and mass distribution of the bodies. Using the Lagrangian approach, the equations governing the motion are derived. The resulting system of four equations is nonlinear and coupled. These equations are solved numerically. In the particular case where the bodies have inertial symmetry, these equations can be reduced to a single equation, with small nonlinearity. The method of multiple scales is used to obtain a first-order solution for the reduced nonlinear equation. The solution is shown to be sufficient when compared with the numerical solution. Numerical results are provided for different example cases, including truncated-cone-shaped and peanut-shaped bodies.     

The roche coordinates and their use in hydrodynamics or celestial mechanics

The aim of the present paper will be to introduce a new system of curvilinear coordinateshereafter referred to as Roche coordinates-in which spheres of constant radius are replaced by equipotential surfaces of a rotating gravitational dipole (which consists of two discrete points of finite mass, revolving around their common center of gravity); while the remaining coordinates are orthogonal to the equipotentials. It will be shown that the use of such coordinates offers a new method of approach to the solution of certain problems of particle dynamics (such as, for instance, the construction of certain types of trajectories in the restricted problem of three bodies); as well as of the hydrodynamics of gas streams in close binary systems, in which the equipotential surfaces of their components distorted by axial rotation and mutual tidal interaction constitute essential boundary conditions.Following a general outline of the problem in Section 1, the Roche coordinates associated with the equipotentials of a rotating gravitational dipole will be constructed in the plane case (Section 2), and their geometrical properties discussed. In Section 3, we shall transform the fundamental equations of hydrodynamics to their forms appropriate in the curvilinear Roche coordinates. The metric coefficients of this transformation will be formulated in a closed form in Section 4 in terms of the respective partial derivatives of the potential; while in Section 5 analytic expressions for the Roche coordinates will be given in the orbital plane of the dipole, which are exact as far as the distortion of the equipotential curves from circular form can be described by the second, third and, fourth harmonics.The concluding Section 6 will be devoted to a formulation of the equations of a mass-point in the restricted problem of three bodies in the Roche coordinates. Three special cases will be considered: (a) motion in the neighborhood of the equipotential curves; (b) motion in the direction normal to such curves; and (c) motion in the neighbourhood of the Lagrangian points. It will be shown that motion in one coordinate is possible only in limiting cases which will be enumerated; but twodimensional motions in which one velocity component is very much smaller than the other invite further study.A generalization of the plane Roche coordinates to three dimensions, with application to additional classes of problems, is being postponed for a subsequent paper.     

Mutual gravitational potential,force, and torque of a homogeneous polyhedron and an extended body: an application to binary asteroids

Binary systems are quite common within the populations of near-Earth asteroids, main-belt asteroids, and Kuiper belt asteroids. The dynamics of binary systems, which can be modeled as the full two-body problem, is a fundamental problem for their evolution and the design of relevant space missions. This paper proposes a new shape-based model for the mutual gravitational potential of binary asteroids, differing from prior approaches such as inertia integrals, spherical harmonics, or symmetric trace-free tensors. One asteroid is modeled as a homogeneous polyhedron, while the other is modeled as an extended rigid body with arbitrary mass distribution. Since the potential of the polyhedron is precisely described in a closed form, the mutual gravitational potential can be formulated as a volume integral over the extended body. By using Taylor expansion, the mutual potential is then derived in terms of inertia integrals of the extended body, derivatives of the polyhedron’s potential, and the relative location and orientation between the two bodies. The gravitational forces and torques acting on the two bodies described in the body-fixed frame of the polyhedron are derived in the form of a second-order expansion. The gravitational model is then used to simulate the evolution of the binary asteroid (66391) 1999 KW4, and compared with previous results in the literature.     

Generalized perturbation equations of celestial mechanics

Generalized perturbation equations of celestial mechanics in terms of orbital elements are derived. The most general case is considered: Keplerian motion of two bodies caused by gravitational forces between them is disturbed by disturbing acceleration acting on each of the bodies separately and by changes of masses of these bodies. It is also pointed out why derivation presented in Klaka (1992a) is completely physically correct only for constant masses.     

The generalized hill problem. Case of an external field of force deriving from a central potential

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the generalization of Hill's problem by using a central field of force deriving from a potential, not restricted to Newton's inverse square law. We establish the equations of motion, determine the equilibrium positions along with their linear stability.     

Lie-series for orbital elements: I. The planar case

Lie-integration is one of the most efficient algorithms for numerical integration of ordinary differential equations if high precision is needed for longer terms. The method is based on the computation of the Taylor coefficients of the solution as a set of recurrence relations. In this paper, we present these recurrence formulae for orbital elements and other integrals of motion for the planar $N$ -body problem. We show that if the reference frame is fixed to one of the bodies—for instance to the Sun in the case of the Solar System—the higher order coefficients for all orbital elements and integrals of motion depend only on the mutual terms corresponding to the orbiting bodies.     

Numerical integration of the equations of motion of celestial mechanics

Recently a number of new techniques have been developed for the numerical solution of the differential equations governing the motion of bodies in the Solar System, moving under their mutual gravitational forces. Some of these new methods are tested against each other and against more traditional methods and conclusions are made as to under what circumstances any of these methods should be used to produce optimum results.     

Tidal evolution of close binary asteroid systems

We provide a generalized discussion of tidal evolution to arbitrary order in the expansion of the gravitational potential between two spherical bodies of any mass ratio. To accurately reproduce the tidal evolution of a system at separations less than 5 times the radius of the larger primary component, the tidal potential due to the presence of a smaller secondary component is expanded in terms of Legendre polynomials to arbitrary order rather than truncated at leading order as is typically done in studies of well-separated system like the Earth and Moon. The equations of tidal evolution including tidal torques, the changes in spin rates of the components, and the change in semimajor axis (orbital separation) are then derived for binary asteroid systems with circular and equatorial mutual orbits. Accounting for higher-order terms in the tidal potential serves to speed up the tidal evolution of the system leading to underestimates in the time rates of change of the spin rates, semimajor axis, and mean motion in the mutual orbit if such corrections are ignored. Special attention is given to the effect of close orbits on the calculation of material properties of the components, in terms of the rigidity and tidal dissipation function, based on the tidal evolution of the system. It is found that accurate determinations of the physical parameters of the system, e.g., densities, sizes, and current separation, are typically more important than accounting for higher-order terms in the potential when calculating material properties. In the scope of the long-term tidal evolution of the semimajor axis and the component spin rates, correcting for close orbits is a small effect, but for an instantaneous rate of change in spin rate, semimajor axis, or mean motion, the close-orbit correction can be on the order of tens of percent. This work has possible implications for the determination of the Roche limit and for spin-state alteration during close flybys.