The precession and nutation of deformable bodies

The aim of the present paper will be to derive from the fundamental equations of hydrodynamics the explicit form of the Eulerian equations which govern the motion about the centre of gravity of self-gravitating bodies, consisting of compressible fluid of arbitrary viscosity, in an arbitrary external field of force. If the problem is particularized so that the external field of force represents the attaction of the sun and the moon, this motion would represent the luni-solar precession and nutation of a fluid viscous earth; if, on the other hand, the external field of force were governed by the earth (and the sun), the motion would define the physical librations of the moon regarded as a deformable body. The same equations are, moreover, equally applicable to the phenomena of precession and nutation of rotating fluid components in close binary systems, distorted by mutual tidal action; and the present paper contains the first formulation of the effects of viscosity on such phenomena.Investigation supported in part by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration under Contract No. NASW-1470.     

The precession and nutation of deformable bodies,II

In a previous paper of this series (Kopal, 1968a) the Eulerian equations have been set up which govern the precession and nutation of selfgravitating bodies of viscous fluid in inertial coordinates which are at rest in space. In order to facilitate their solution, in the present investigation we shall transform these equations to the rotating body-axes; and shall explicitly evaluate all their coefficients arising as a result of second-harmonic dynamical tides.Following the introductory Section 1 which contains a mathematical statement of the problem, the requisite transformation of coordinates will be outlined in Section 2, and applied to the equations of motion in Section 5. The corresponding moments and products of inertia appropriate for selfgravitating configurations of arbitrary internal structure will be formulated in Section 4; while the deformation terms arising from second-harmonic dynamical tides raised on centrally-condensed configurations will be evaluated in Sections 3 and 6. The concluding Section 7 will then contain a specification of the components of the disturbing force.The next stage of our investigation — namely, a construction of the actual solutions of the equations governing precession and nutation of fluid bodies in different cases of astrophysical interest — has been postponed for a separate paper.     

The effects of viscous friction on the precession and nutation of celestial bodies

The aim of the present study has been to set the system of differential equations which govern the precession and nutation of self-gravitating globes of compressible viscous fluid, due to the attraction exerted on the rotating configuration by its companion; and to construct their approximate solution which are correct to terms of the second order in small dependent variables of the problem. Section 2 contains an explicit formulation of the effects of viscosity arising in this connection, given exactly as far as the viscosity remains a function of radial distancer only; but irrespective of its magnitude. In Section 3 the equations of motion will be linearized for the case of near-circular orbits and small inclinations andi of the equator of the rotating configuration, and of its orbital plane, to the invariable plane of the system; while in Section 4 further simplifications will be introduced which are legitimate for studies of secular (or long-periodic) motions of the nodes and inclinations. The actual solutions of so simplified a system of equations are constructed in Section 5; and these represent a generalization of the results obtained in our previous investigation (Kopal, 1969) of the inviscid case.The physical significance of the new results will be discussed in the concluding Section 6. It is demonstrated that the axes of rotation of deformable components in close binary systems are initially inclined to the orbital plane, viscous dissipation produced by dynamical tides will tend secularly to rectify their positions until perpendicularity to the orbital plane has been established, and the equators as well as orbit made to coincide with the invariable plane of the system-in a similar manner as other effects of tidal friction are bound eventually to synchronize the velocity of axial rotation with that of orbital revolution in the course of time.An application of the results of the present study to the dynamics of the Earth-Moon system discloses that the observed inclination of 1°.5 of the lunar equator to the ecliptic cannot be regarded as being secularly constant, but representing the present deviations from perpendicularity of oscillatory motion of very long period.The Lunar Science Institute is operated by the Universities Space Research Association under Contract No. NSR-09-051-001 with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. This paper constitutes the Lunar Science Institute Contribution No. 85.     

The librational dynamics of deformable bodies

The volume average of the strain tensor in a body moving in an inverse-square force field is evaluated. The calculation is carried out assuming the satellite to be an isotropic elastic body whose center of mass moves in a planar orbit. An approximate expression, in terms of its volume and elastic properties, is presented for the strain energy in the satellite. Using this expression the equation of planar librational motion is written explicity. This equation is discussed for both circular and elliptic orbits and is modified to include the effects of energy dissipation in the body. It is shown that the concept of Adiabatic Invariants allows one to analyze the influence of slow changes in the material volume and elasticity.This work was supported by NASA Grant No. NGR 05-010-020.     

Rotational dynamics of deformable celestial bodies

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Rotational dynamics of celestial deformable bodies

In a previous paper of this series (Tokis, 1974b), we have discussed the solution of the Eulerian equation which governs the axial rotation, applied to the effects of viscous friction exhibited in binary systems which consist of a close pair of fluid bodies of arbitrary structure. The aim of the present paper will be to give an application of those results to the Earth-Moon system. It is shown that synchronism between the axial rotation of the Earth and the revolution of the Moon will occur at the value of 650 h, in a time scale which depends strongly on the value of the mean viscosity of the Earth (regarded as spherical or spheroidal). In particular, the variation of rotational angular velocity of the Earth over the next ten centuries commencing from 1900 A.D., depends sensitively on the value of viscosity. On the other hand, the time for synchronism of axial rotation of the Moon is not affected by the viscosity for values between 10²⁴g cm^?1 s^?1 and 10²⁷g cm^?1 s^?1.     

Angular momentum and kinetic energy of rotating deformable bodies

The general equations of angular momentum and kinetic energy of a rotating deformable (or not rigid) body are discussed for a fixed and a rotating coordinate system. A new system of equations is developed for a deformable body of arbitrary form using the Lagrangian (vector) cisplacement up to the first order terms. The equations are, then, illustrated for a self-gravitating ceformable body perturbed by tides.     

Derivation of a condition on the motion of two deformable bodies

We attempt to derive the conditions for which the motion of a system of two deformable (fluid or not) bodies can be reduced to the well-known two-body problem. The new condition is discussed for some pairs of such bodies existing in the natural world.     

The free precession and libration of Mercury

An analysis based on the direct torque equations including tidal dissipation and a viscous core-mantle coupling is used to determine the damping time scales of O(¹⁰⁵) years for free precession of the spin about the Cassini state and free libration in longitude for Mercury. The core-mantle coupling dominates the damping over the tides by one to two orders of magnitude for the plausible parameters chosen. The short damping times compared with the age of the Solar System means we must find recent or on-going excitation mechanisms if such free motions are found by the current radar experiments or the future measurement by the MESSENGER and BepiColombo spacecraft that will orbit Mercury. We also show that the average precession rate is increased by about 30% over that obtained from the traditional precession constant because of a spin-orbit resonance induced contribution by the C₂₂ term in the expansion of the gravitational field. The C₂₂ contribution also causes the path of the spin during the precession to be slightly elliptical with a variation in the precession rate that is a maximum when the obliquity is a minimum. An observable free precession will compromise the determination of obliquity of the Cassini state and hence of C/MMR² for Mercury, but a detected free libration will not compromise the determination of the forced libration amplitude and thus the verification of a liquid core.     

The relativistic precession of the orbits

The relativistic precession can be quickly inferred from the nonlinear polar orbit equation without actually solving it.     

The evolution of adopted values for precession

A survey of values of the speed of general precession in longitude is presented from the time of Bessel to the adoption of the new value by the IAU in 1976 for use in the FK5 and the J2000 reference system. The important contributions of Walter Fricke to this area of fundamental astronomy are outlined.Dedicated to Walter Fricke on the occasion of his 70th birthday and of his retirement as director of the Astronomisches Rechen-Institut in Heidelberg in appreciation of the insight he has given us and in anticipation of his continued research in fundamental astronomy.     

Precession and nutation in close binary ststems

The precession of the orbital plane in a close binary system can provide an important observational tool for investigating dynamical properties of the components. Tidal evolution will always tend to align the rotation axes perpendicular to the orbital plane, thereby eliminating precession. It is pointed out, however, that if observations indicate the existence of a circular orbit and synchronous rotation of the components-which is the outcome of tidal evolution-then precession may still be present, provided the interior of one of the components is, or recently has been, radiative, and is not strongly coupled to the surface layers (where tidal dissipation is greatest). The equations governing precession and nutation are derived in a concise form, and applied to the numerical study of two binary systems. The observational effects are also discussed. Finally, it is pointed out that precession may be present in a subclass of the X-ray binary systems, and its observational significance is briefly discussed.     

Determinations of precession

Recent determinations of lunisolar precession and of the motion of the equinox are reviewed. Methods of determination are discussed which are based on proper motions referred to fundamental systems, on planetary motions, and on proper motions referred to galaxies. It is concluded that a new fundamental catalogue, which will replace the FK4 at some future date, should be based on revised values of precession and freed from errors in the motion of the equinox.Presented at IAU Colloquium No. 9, The IAU System of Astronomical Constants, Heidelberg, Germany, August 12–14, 1970.     

Tkachenko waves, glitches and precession in neutron stars

Here I discuss possible relations between free precession of neutron stars, Tkachenko waves inside them and glitches. I note that the proposed precession period of the isolated neutron star RX J0720.4-3125 (Haberl et al. 2006) is consistent with the period of Tkachenko waves for the spin period 8.4 s. Based on a possible observation of a glitch in RX J0720.4-3125 (van Kerkwijk et al. 2007), I propose a simple model, in which long period precession is powered by Tkachenko waves generated by a glitch. The period of free precession, determined by a NS oblateness, should be equal to the standing Tkachenko wave period for effective energy transfer from the standing wave to the precession motion. A similar scenario can be applicable also in the case of the PSR B1828-11.     

The precession of eccentric discs in close binaries

If the emission of gamma-ray bursts were as a result of the synchrotron process in the standard internal shock scenario, then the typical observed spectrum should have a slope F _ν ∝ ν ^−1/2, which strongly conflicts with the much harder spectra observed. This directly follows from the cooling time being much shorter than the dynamical time. Particle re-acceleration, deviations from equipartition, quickly changing magnetic fields and adiabatic losses are found to be inadequate to account for this discrepancy. We also find that in the internal shock scenario the relativistic inverse Compton scattering is always as important as the synchrotron process, and faces the same problems. This indicates that the burst emission is not produced by relativistic electrons emitting synchrotron and inverse Compton radiation.     

Effects on the nutation of C4,m and S4,m Harmonics

In this paper, we make a study about the influence of the coefficients of the geopotential C_4,m and S_4,m, (m=1,2,3,4) on the nutation, starting from the Hamiltonian theory as developed by Kinoshita (1977).We obtain ten coefficients larger than 0.05 μ as for the nutation in longitude and six for the nutation in obliquity. The present results are included in the reconstruction of the theory of nutation (REN‐2000) at the level of truncation of 0.1 μ as (Souchay et al., 1997). This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Supplemental satellites and lunisolar precession

Summary Two earth orbiting satellites with the same semimajor axes and eccentricities, but supplemental inclinations, define a direction — the bisector of their nodal lines — which is free from the secular motion due to the oblateness of the earth (Ciufolini 1986). We show that the inclination and the longitude of the node refer to the direction of the angular momentum of the earth. Because of the lunisolar precession and nutation, the longitude of the bisector so defined changes in a way dependent on the orientation of the angular momentum. If the relativistic Lense-Thirring precession is assumed, its measurement with two supplemental satellites will give information about the precessional and nutational constants.Research supported by the Piano Spazïale Nazionale of Italy.     

Precession,nutation and the choice of reference system for close earth satellite orbits

Expressions are given for the perturbations arising in the motion of close earth satelites if the orbital system introduced by Veis is used. These expressions include all terms with amplitudes greater than 10^–8 for both long and short periods. Resonance problems can also occur under certain circumstances. Similar first order expressions obtained previously by Kozai are found to contain some errors.