Some investigations into the atmospheric drag problem

This paper calls into question the validity of the well-known formulae for the perturbations in the Keplerian elements, over one revolution of an orbit, for the motion of a drag-perturbed artificial satellite. These formulae are derived from Gauss's form of the planetary equations, by averaging over a single revolution of the orbit, and using the eccentric anomaly as the independent variable.It is shown that for light balloon-type satellites in near-circular orbits neither the eccentric anomaly nor the true longitude is a suitable choice of independent variable for the averaging procedure. Under these circumstances, it would seem that simple formulae for the variations in the elements cannot be derived from Gauss's equations.     

Keplerian motion and gyration

An equivalence between Keplerian motion and harmonic oscillations has been established by Burdet by using essentially the true anomaly as a new independent variable. In this paper, a relation between these oscillator equations and the motion of a gyroscope is derived. Important numerical and analytical consequences are discussed.     

On Pfaff's equations of motion in dynamics; Applications to satellite theory

In this article we study a form of equations of motion which is different from Lagrange's and Hamilton's equations: Pfaff's equations of motion. Pfaff's equations of motion were published in 1815 and are remarkably elegant as well as general, but still they are much less well known. Pfaff's equations can also be considered as the Euler-Lagrange equations derived from the linear Lagrangian rather than the usual Lagrangian which is quadratic in the velocity components. The article first treats the theory of changes of variables in Pfaff's equations and the connections with canonical equations as well as canonical transformations. Then the applications to the perturbed two-body problem are treated in detail. Finally, the Pfaffians are given in Hill variables and Scheifele variables. With these two sets of variables, the use of the true anomaly as independent variable is also considered.     

Satellite prediction formulae for Vinti's model

For Vinti's dynamical problem, there is proposed a new form of solution wherein all three coordinates are expressed in terms of one independent variable. The formulae for the three co-ordinates are clear generalizations of the corresponding formulae for the Kepler problem while the independent variable corresponds to the true anomaly. The solution is completed by the relation connecting the independent variable with time: the latter is a generalization of the well known Kepler time-angle relationship. From the form and method of solution the main qualitative features of the motion are readily derived.     

Holomorphy of coordinates with respect to eccentricities in the planetary three-body problem

The boundaries of the domains of holomorphy of the coordinates of unperturbed elliptic motion with respect to the eccentricities of planetary orbits are determined for the cases when any of the five anomalies of one of the planets-eccentric, true, tangential, or one of two mutual anomalies suggested by M.F. Subbotin—is used as an independent variable. The resulting equations are a generalization of the known equations for the boundaries of the domains of the holomorphy of coordinates for the cases when the time is the independent variable and determine the bisymmetric ovals, whose size and shape depend on the eccentricities and on the ratio of the planetary mean motions. The largest domains of holomorphy are obtained when the tangential anomaly or one of the Subbotin mutual anomalies is used. A function was found that conformally maps the domain of holomorphy to the unit disk. It was demonstrated that the application of any anomaly of the outer planet as the independent variable can result in a significant shrinking of the domain of the holomorphy of the coordinates of the inner planet, so that the analytic continuation of the initial power series with the center at the origin of the coordinates of a complex plane becomes impossible.     

Canonical theory of perturbations using eccentric anomaly as independent variable

It is shown in this paper how to build a canonical transformation of variables, so that the eccentric anomaly becomes the new independent variable. In the case of eccentric elliptical orbits it changes the equations of motion so, that they can be integrated analytically to any order of approximation comparatively easy.     

A noncanonical analytic solution to theJ 2 perturbed two-body problem

The motion of a satellite subject to an inverse-square gravitational force of attraction and a perturbation due to the Earth's oblateness as theJ ₂ term is analyzed, and a uniform, analytic solution correct to first-order inJ ₂, is obtained using a noncanonical approach. The basis for the solution is the transformation and uncoupling of the differential equations for the model. The resulting solution is expressed in terms of elementary functions of the independent variable (the ‘true anomaly’), and is of a compact and simple form. Numerical results are comparable to existing solutions.     

Stabilization by modification of the Lagrangian

In order to reduce the error growth during a numerical integration, a method of stabilization, of the differential equations of the Keplerian motion is offered. It is characterized by the use of the eccentric anomaly as independent variable in such a way that the time transformation is given by a generalized Lagrange formalism. The control terms in the equations of motion obtained by this modified Lagrangian give immediately a completely Lyapunov-stable set of differential equations. In contrast to other publications, here the equation of time integration is modified by a control term which leads to an integral which defined the time element for the perturbed Keplerian motion.This paper was supported by the National Research Council and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and also by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft. It was presented at the Flight Mechanics/Estimation Theory Symposium, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md., April 15–16, 1975.     

Numerical stabilization of the differential equations of Keplerian motion

A stabilization of the classical equations of two-body motion is offered. It is characterized by the use of the regularizing independent variable (eccentric anomaly) and by the addition of a control-term to the differential equations. This method is related to the KS-theory (Stiefel, 1970) which performed for the first time a stabilization of the Kepler motion. But in contrast to the KS-theory our method does not transform the coordinates of the particle. As far as the theory of stability and the numerical experiments are concerned we restrict ourselves to thepure Kepler motion. But, of course, the stabilizing devices will also improve the accuracy of the computation of perturbed orbits. We list, therefore, also the equations of the perturbed motion.     

The development of the Poincaré-similar elements with eccentric anomaly as the independent variable

A new set of element differential equations for the perturbed two-body motion is derived. The elements are canonical and are similar to the classical canonical Poincaré elements, which have time as the independent variable. The phase space is extended by introducing the total energy and time as canonically conjugated variables. The new independent variable is, to within an additive constant, the eccentric anomaly. These elements are compared to the Kustaanheimo-Stiefel (KS) element differential equations, which also have the eccentric anomaly as the independent variable. For several numerical examples, the accuracy and stability of the new set are equal to those of the KS solution. This comparable accuracy result can probably be attributed to the fact that both sets have the same time element and very similar energy elements. The new set has only 8 elements, compared to 10 elements for the KS set. Both sets are free from singularities due to vanishing eccentricity and inclination.     

A transformation of the two-body problem

A transformation of the differential equations of motion of the two-body problem in the spherical coordinates to oscillator form is derived. It is shown that the independent variable transformation dt/ds=r² is a transformation which makes the oscillator form possible.     

Drag perturbations of artificial satellite orbits in a spherically symmetrical atmosphere

The equations characterizing the motion of an artificial satellite in a non-rotating spherically symmetrical atmosphere are integrated in the assumption of a linear variation of the density scale height with height, and using a new variable instead of the true anomaly. The secular perturbations in the semi-major axis and eccentricity are deduced.     

Exact solution to the relative orbital motion in eccentric orbits

This paper studies the relative orbital motion between arbitrary Keplerian trajectories. A closed-form vectorial solution to the nonlinear initial value problem that models this type of motion with respect to a noninertial reference frame is offered. Without imposing any particular conditions on the leader or the deputy satellites trajectories, exact expressions for the relative law of motion and relative velocity are obtained in a closed form. This solution allows the parameterization of the relative motion manifold and offers new methods to study its geometrical and topological properties. The result presented in this paper opens the way to obtain new classes of approximate solutions to the equations of relative motion with time, an eccentric or true anomaly as independent variables. Published in Russian in Solar System Research, 2009, Vol. 43, No. 1, pp. 44–55. The text was submitted by the autors in English.     

The extended phase space formulation of the Vinti problem

The Vinti problem, motion about an oblate spheroid, is formulated using the extended phase space method. The new independent variable, similar to the true anomaly, decouples the radius and latitude equations into two perturbed harmonic oscillators whose solutions toO(J ₂ ⁴ ) are obtained using Lindstedt's method. From these solutions and the solution to the Hamilton-Jacobi equation suitable angle variables, their canonical conjugates and the new Hamiltonian are obtained. The new Hamiltonian, accurate toO(J ₂ ⁴ ) is function of only the momenta.     

The Artificial Earth Satellite Motion in an Oblate,Rotating Atmosphere with Symmetrical Diurnal Effect

The equations describing the disturbed motion of an artificial Earth satellite in the atmosphere are integrated by using a new variable instead of the true anomaly. The atmospheric flattening and rotation, the linear variation of the density scale height with the altitude, the symmetrical diurnal effect and the variation of its amplitude with the heigth are taken into account. Approximate formulae for the perturbations in all the orbital elements over a revolution of the satellite are given.     

Convergence of the expansions of the disturbing functions in the planar three-body planetary problem

In the framework of the planar three-body planetary problem, conditions are found for the absolute convergence of the expansions of the disturbing functions in powers of the eccentricities, with coefficients represented by trigonometric polynomials with respect to the mean, eccentric, or true anomaly of the inner planet. It is found that using the eccentric or true anomaly as the independent variable instead of the mean anomaly (or time) extends the holomorphy domain of the principal part of the perturbation functions. The expansions of the second parts converge in open bicircles, which admit values of the eccentricity of the inner planet in excess of the Laplace limit.     

Regularization and the computation of optimal trajectories

A completely regular form for the differential equations governing the three-dimensional motion of a continuously thrusting space vehicle is obtained by using the Kustaanheimo-Stiefel regularization. The differential equations for the thrusting rocket are transformed using the K-S transformation and an optimal trajectory problem is posed in the transformed space. The canonical equations for the optimal motion in the transformed space are regularized by a suitable change of the independent variable. The transformed equations are regular in the sense that the differential equations do not possess terms with zero divisors when the motion encounters a gravitational force center. The resulting equations possess symmetry in form and the coefficients of the dependent variables are slowly varying quantities for a low-thrust space vehicle.Presented at the Conference on Celestial Mechanics, Oberwolfach, Germany, August 17–23, 1969.     

The importance of the Lie algebra so (4, 2) for the Kepler problem

It is shown that the Lie algebra so(4, 2) is characteristic for the three dimensional Keplerian motion provided the eccentric anomaly is used as the independent variable. This algebra generates all the integrals of motion and yields the guiding principle for reformulating all the Keplerian formulas.Proceedings of the Sixth Conference on Mathematical Methods in Celestial Mechanics held at Oberwolfach (West Germany) from 14 to 19 August, 1978.     

Infinitesimal Orbits Around the Libration Points in the Elliptic Restricted Three Body Problem

The objective of the present work is to develope explicit analytical expressions for the small amplitude orbits of the infinitesimal mass about the equilibrium points in the elliptic restricted three body problem. To handle this dynamical problem, the Hamiltonian for the elliptic problem is formed with the true anomaly and then with the eccentric anomaly as independent variables. The origin is then transformed to a fixed point and the Hamiltonian is developed up to O(4) in the eccentricity, e, (which plays the role of the small parameter of the problem) of the primaries. The integration of the model problem under consideration is undertaken by means of a perturbation technique based on Lie series developments, which leads to the solution of the canonical equations of motion.     

Motion near the triangular points in the elliptic restricted problem of three bodies

In this paper the first variational equations of motion about the triangular points in the elliptic restricted problem are investigated by the perturbation theories of Hori and Deprit, which are based on Lie transforms, and by taking the mean equations used by Grebenikov as our upperturbed Hamiltonian system instead of the first variational equations in the circular restricted problem. We are able to remove the explicit dependence of transformed Hamiltonian on the true anomaly by a canonical transformation. The general solution of the equations of motion which are derived from the transformed Hamiltonian including all the constant terms of any order in eccentricity and up to the periodic terms of second order in eccentricity of the primaries is given.