Some special orbits in the two-body problem with radiation pressure

The motion has been studied of a particle in a gravitational field perturbed by radiation pressure. By combining the formulation in the physical space variables with the KS variables we obtained explicit evidence for the existence of a surface of stable circular orbits with centers on an axis through the primary body. Furthermore, the effects of a sharp shadow on the two-dimensional unstable parabolic orbits were investigated. It was found that they do not survive the introduction of a shadow.     

Effect of solar radiation pressure on the motion and stability of the system of two inter-connected satellites when their center of mass moves in a circular orbit

The effect of the perturbative force, solar pressure, on the motion and stability of two cableconnected satellites in the Earth's central gravitational field of force has been studied. The osculating plane of the orbit of the centre of mass has been supposed to be inclined at a constant angle with the plane of the ecliptic. The particular solutions of the nonlinear, non-homogeneous and non-autonomous equations of relative motion in three-dimensional cases have been obtained.The particular solution in which the system lies wholly along the radius vector joining the attracting centre and the centre of mass of the system under the central attracting force alone was found to be stable (cf. Singh, 1973). It has been established in our case too that the same particular solution remains stable if the parameter of the solar pressure lies within a certain limit.     

The role of plasma interchange motion for the formation of a plasmapause

Mcllwain's electric and magnetic field distributions (E3H and M2) have been used to calculate the drift path of plasma density irregularities taking into account plasma interchange motion driven by the gravitational and inertial forces acting on the whole mass of the plasma elements.It has been shown that there is a region in the magnetosphere which is unstable with respect to the interchange motion of the cold plasma element. Any plasma hole in the background density drifts ultimately toward an asymptotic trajectory. Along this trajectory the inward gravitational force is balanced by the outward inertial force averaged over one revolution around the Earth. This asymptotic trajectory, along which all plasma holes ultimately accumulate, is identified with the equatorial plasmapause. The maximum velocity for the interchange motion is proportional to the excess (or defect) of density in the plasma element, and inversely proportional to the integrated Pedersen conductivity. Plasma detachment is shown to occur preferentially in the post-midnight sector.     

Some astrophysical consequences of the extended Maxwell-like gravitational field equations

The Maxwell-like gravitational field equations have been generalized and coupled through the gravitational four-potential on the electromagnetic Maxwell's equations. It is shown that this has several astrophysical consequences, of which the main are the following (i) the gravitational instability of a system of mass bodies manifesting itself by a Hubble-like motion on cosmological scales, (ii) the possible change of light intensity propagating through a large distance (and so a possible change of the real energy output of some very distant objects, e.g., quasars), (iii) non-stability of a planetary system on the cosmological time scales, due to the momentum increase of the moving bodies in a generalized gravitational field.     

Local integrals and the plane motion of a point in rotating systems

This paper deals with the plane motion of a star in the gravitational field of a system which is in a steady state and rotates with a constant angular velocity. For these systems a class of potentials permitting a local integral, linear with respect to the velocity components, has been found. The concept of the local integral itself was introduced by one of the authors of the present paper (Antonov, 1981). A detailed model has been constructed. The corresponding domain of the particle motion and the form of the trajectory coils have been determined. The result is compared with the motion in a more realistic potential.     

Effect of solar pressure on the motion and stability of the system of two inter-connected satellites in an elliptical orbit

The effect of solar pressure on the two-dimensional motion of two cable-connected satellites in the Earth's central gravitational field of force for the elliptical orbit of the centre-of-mass of the system has been analysed. The equations of motion obtianed are nonlinear and non-autonomous.It is concluded with the aid of non-resonant solution that the system experiences resonance main as well as parametric. If the eccentricity is small, the system will always oscillate about the position of equilibrium with tight string like dumb-bell satellite with changing phase and constant amplitude.     

A problem of orbital dynamics,which is separable in KS-variables

The motion of a rocket (with constant thrust) in the gravitational field of a mass point is studied. As is well known, the two dimensional version of this problem is separable in Levi-Civitavariables. It is shown here that, for the three dimensional case, the KS-variables produce the separability. A closed solution is found by using elliptic functions. Equivalent problems are mentioned.     

Orbital dynamics and equilibrium points around an asteroid with gravitational orbit–attitude coupling perturbation

The strongly perturbed dynamical environment near asteroids has been a great challenge for the mission design. Besides the non-spherical gravity, solar radiation pressure, and solar tide, the orbital motion actually suffers from another perturbation caused by the gravitational orbit–attitude coupling of the spacecraft. This gravitational orbit–attitude coupling perturbation (GOACP) has its origin in the fact that the gravity acting on a non-spherical extended body, the real case of the spacecraft, is actually different from that acting on a point mass, the approximation of the spacecraft in the orbital dynamics. We intend to take into account GOACP besides the non-spherical gravity to improve the previous close-proximity orbital dynamics. GOACP depends on the spacecraft attitude, which is assumed to be controlled ideally with respect to the asteroid in this study. Then, we focus on the orbital motion perturbed by the non-spherical gravity and GOACP with the given attitude. This new orbital model can be called the attitude-restricted orbital dynamics, where restricted means that the orbital motion is studied as a restricted problem at a given attitude. In the present paper, equilibrium points of the attitude-restricted orbital dynamics in the second degree and order gravity field of a uniformly rotating asteroid are investigated. Two kinds of equilibria are obtained: on and off the asteroid equatorial principal axis. These equilibria are different from and more diverse than those in the classical orbital dynamics without GOACP. In the case of a large spacecraft, the off-axis equilibrium points can exist at an arbitrary longitude in the equatorial plane. These results are useful for close-proximity operations, such as the asteroid body-fixed hovering.     

Mass accretion by the nuclei of disk galaxies

In this work a model has been proposed to explain how the nucleus of a Galaxy can accumulate mass and becomes supermassive — ultimately giving way to gravitational instability leading to an explosion in the nucleus. The process may be repeated many times during the life-span of a Galaxy. The mass shed by the evolved stars populating the central region of the Galaxy can be attracted toward the nuclear core by gravitational pull. Since the incident gas possesses rotational velocity, the centrifugal repulsion of the gas may balance the gravitational pull of the nucleus; thus infall of mass into the nucleus will ordinarily be inhibited. But dissipative agents — such as the prevailing magnetic field and the viscosity of gas — may be sufficient to destroy the rotational velocity of the incident gas and keep the accretion process efficient. The correlation between rotational velocity of gas and its distance from the centre of the Galaxy has been deduced. The radial equation of motion has been solved and the time-scale during which the nucleus accumulates mass sufficient for explosion, has been estimated.     

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.     

双星系统中大质量比致密天体质量四极矩对轨道频率的影响分析

极端质量比旋进系统是空间引力波探测器最重要的波源之一。对引力波的探测需要高精度波形模版。当前主流的极端质量比旋进系统引力波计算模型中,人们一般将小质量天体当作试验粒子进行计算,而忽略了其结构及自身引力对背景引力场的影响。利用Mathisson-Papapetrou-Dixon方程研究延展体在弯曲时空中的运动,以及小天体自旋和质量多极矩对引力波信号识别产生的影响。结果表明,质量比在10?6-10?4范围的旋进系统,其自旋达到很大时,自旋对延展体的轨道运动有不可忽略的影响;在质量比10?4-10?2区间内,需要考虑中心黑洞潮汐作用导致的白矮星形变;在质量比大于10?4,且白矮星自旋很大时,其自旋产生的形变会对小天体轨道运动产生不可忽略的影响。大质量黑洞潮汐作用导致的恒星级黑洞或中子星产生的形变可以忽略,中子星和黑洞的自旋会对轨道运动产生不可忽略的影响,而自旋产生的四极矩对轨道运动不产生影响。     

Gravitational instability of partially-ionized plasma in an oblique magnetic field

The effects of Hall currents, finite conductivity, and collision with neutrals have been studied on the gravitational instability of a partially-ionized plasma. It is assumed that plasma is permeated by an oblique magnetic field. The dispersion relation has been obtained and numerical calculations have been performed to obtain the dependence of the growth rate of the gravitationally unstable mode on the various physical parameters involved. It is found that Jeans's criterion remains unchanged in the presence of Hall currents, finite conductivity, and collisions. The Hall currents, finite conductivity, and collisions have destabilizing influence on the unstable mode of wave propagation of a gravitational instability of partially-ionized plasma.     

Tectonic Structure,Classification, and Evolution of Arachnoids on Venus: Preliminary Results

An analysis has been done of the topography and geologic structure of arachnoids—specific radial/concentric volcannic-tectonic structures on the surface of Venus. A representative sample (53 arachnoids) from 265 structures of this type, which are listed in the catalog of volcanic structures of the surface of Venus (Crumpler and Aubele, 2000), has been studied. The overwhelming majority of arachnoids are shown to be depressions that are commonly outlined by concentric extensional structures. Following Head et al. (1992) and Aittola and Kostama (2001), the assumption is confirmed and substantiated that arachnoids are formed by gravitational relaxation of small magmatic diapirs. Several types of arachnoids are identified on the basis of an analysis of structural patterns characteristic of such structures. It is also shown that the formation of different types of arachnoids depends on the depth of the magmatic diapir under the surface, on the thickness and reologic properties of the structures superposed on the evolving magmatic diapir, and on the character of regional stress fields that arise in the process of formation of such structures. The conclusion is drawn that most of the arachnoids were formed due to the gravitational relaxation of magmatic diapirs within the brittle part of the lithosphere, and some of them appeared as a result of the gravitational relaxation of radially fractured centers—novae. It is also shown that arachnoids are long-lived and multistep structures. At least some of them began to evolve before the formation of regional plains with wrinkle ridges, and their development ended after this event.     

Stability of Surface Motion on a Rotating Ellipsoid

The dynamical environment on the surface of a rotating, massive ellipsoid is studied, with applications to surface motion on an asteroid. The analysis is performed using a combination of classical dynamics and geometrical analysis. Due to the small sizes of most asteroids, their shapes tend to differ from the classical spheroids found for the planets. The tri-axial ellipsoid model provides a non-trivial approximation of the gravitational potential of an asteroid and is amenable to analytical computation. Using this model, we study some properties of motion on the surface of an asteroid. We find all the equilibrium points on the surface of a rotating ellipsoid and we show that the stability of these points is intimately tied to the conditions for a Jacobi or MacLaurin ellipsoid of equilibria. Using geometrical analysis we can define global constraints on motion as a function of shape, rotation rate, and density, we find that some asteroids should have accumulation of material at their ends, while others should have accumulation of surface material at their poles. This study has implications for motion of a rover on an asteroid, and for the distribution of natural material on asteroids, and for a spacecraft hovering over an asteroid.     

The in-plane motion of a Geosynchronous satellite under the gravitational attraction of the sun,the moon and the oblate earth

The in-plane motion of a Geosynchronous satellite under the gravitational effects of the sun, the moon and the oblate earth has been studied. The radial deviation (Δr) and the tangential deviation (r _cΔθ) have been determined. Herer _c represents the synchronous altitude. It has been seen that the sum of the oscillatory terms in Δr for different inclinations is a small finite quantity whereas the sum of the oscillatory terms inr _cΔθ for different inclinations is quite large due to the presence of the low-frequency terms in the denominator     

Elliptic-type motion in Fock's gravitational field

The elliptic-type motion in the gravitational field found by Fock as exact solution of Einstein's vacuum equations in the case of spherical symmetry (Solution called here Fock's gravitational field) is studied by means of a classic method based on the perturbation theory. Regarding the deviations of the orbit from a Kepleian orbit as perturbations, the first and second order variations of the Keplerian orbital elements over one nodal period as well as those of the nodal period itself are determined.     

Kelvin-Helmholtz instability of superimposed magnetized,rotating fluids with neutral particles and resistivity

Kelvin-Helmholtz instability of two superimposed fluids has been studied. One of the fluids is non-conducting and the other is conducting with finite resistivity. The fluids are assumed rotating and slipping past each other with a relative velocity. The neutral particles are also incorporated in one of the fluids of the system. A general dispersion relation has been derived and discussed under different conditions. The effect of rotation and the neutral particles, considering an infinitely-conducting system has also been analyzed and it is observed that small rotation and the presence of neutral particles destabilize the system. The effect of neutral particles is to decrease the effect of magnetic field, angular velocity, and the gravitational field. It has been found that an otherwise stable mode becomes overstable and grows exponentially in the presence of finite resistivity.     

Polarization of the CMB Photons Crossing the Galaxy Clusters

In this paper, I investigate a local effect of polarization of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) in clusters of galaxies, induced by the Thomson scattering of an anisotropic radiation. A local anisotropy of the CMB is produced by some scattering and gravitational effects, as, for instance, the Sunyaev Zel‘dovich effect, the Doppler shift due to the cluster motion and the gravitational lensing. The resulting anisotropy ΔI/I depends on the physical properties of the clusters, in particular on their emissivity in the X band on their size, on their gravitational potential and on the peculiar conditions characterizing the gas they contain. By solving the Boltzmann radiative transfer equation in presence of such anisotropies I calculate the average polarization at the centre of some clusters, namelyA2218, A576 and A2163, whose properties are quite well known. I prove that the gravitational effects due to the contraction or to the expansion have some importance, particularly for high density structures; moreover, the peculiar motion of the cluster, considered as a gravitational lens, influences the propagation of the CMB photons by introducing a particular angular dependence in the gravitational anisotropy and in the scattering integrals. Thus, the gravitational and the scattering effects overally produce an appreciable local average polarization of the CMB, may be observable through a careful polarization measurements towards the centres of the galaxy clusters. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Some secondary indications of gravitational collapse

A stellar core becomes somewhat less massive due to neutrinos radiated away during its collapse in a neutron star or a black hole. The paper deals with the hydrodynamic motion of stellar envelope induced by such a mass loss. Depending on the structure of the outer stellar layers, the motion results either in ejection of an envelope with mass and energy proper for Nova outbursts; or nearly instantaneous excitation of strong pulsations of the star; or lastly in a slow slipping away of the whole stellar envelope. These phenomena are of importance when more powerful events, like supernova outbursts presumably associated with gravitational collapse, are absent. Such secondary indications of gravitational collapse are of special interest, since they may be a single observable manifestation (besides neutrinos and gravitational waves) of massive black hole formation.