Poisson equations of rotational motion for a rigid triaxial body with application to a tumbling artificial satellite

Differential equations are derived for studying the effects of either conservative or nonconservative torques on the attitude motion of a tumbling triaxial rigid satellite. These equations, which are analogous to the Lagrange planetary equations for osculating elements, are then used to study the attitude motions of a rapidly spinning, triaxial, rigid satellite about its center of mass, which, in turn, is constrained to move in an elliptic orbit about an attracting point mass. The only torques considered are the gravity-gradient torques associated with an inverse-square field. The effects of oblateness of the central body on the orbit are included, in that, the apsidal line of the orbit is permitted to rotate at a constant rate while the orbital plane is permitted to precess (either posigrade or retrograde) at a constant rate with constant inclination.A method of averaging is used to obtain an intermediate set of averaged differential equations for the nonresonant, secular behavior of the osculating elements which describe the complete rotational motions of the body about its center of mass. The averaged differential equations are then integrated to obtain long-term secular solutions for the osculating elements. These solutions may be used to predict both the orientation of the body with respect to a nonrotating coordinate system and the motion of the rotational angular momentum about the center of mass. The complete development is valid to first order in (n/w ₀)², wheren is the satellite's orbital mean motion andw ₀ its initial rotational angular speed.     

The restricted problem of three bodies with rigid dumb-bell satellite

This paper is concerned with an extension of the classical restricted problem of three bodies in three dimensions. Usually, the satellite is considered to be a point mass. Here, the satellite is assumed to have a simple structure. The equations of motion are obtained and some of their consequences are discussed.     

The motion of a lunar satellite

Presented in this theory is a semianalytical solution for the problem of the motion of a satellite in orbit around the moon. The principal perturbations on such a body are due to the nonspherical gravity field of the moon, the attraction of the earth, and, to a lesser degree, the attraction of the sun. The major part of the problem is solved by means of the celebrated von Zeipel Method, first successfully applied to the motion of an artificial earth satellite by Brouwer in 1959. After eliminating from the Hamiltonian all terms with the period of the satellite and those with the period of the moon, it is suggested to solve the remaining problem with the aid of numerical integration of the modified equations of motion.This theory was written in 1964 and presented as a dissertation to Yale University in 1965. Since then a great deal has been learned about the gravity field of the moon. It seems that quite a number of recently determined gravity coefficients would qualify as small quantities of order two. Hence, according to the truncation criteria employed, they should be considered in the present theory. However, the author has not endeavored to update the work accordingly. The final results, therefore, are incomplete in the lunar gravitational perturbations. Nevertheless, the theory does give the largest such variations and it does present the methods by which perturbations may be derived for any gravity terms not actually developed.     

The Roche coordinates for the rotational problem

Curvilinear coordinates in three dimensions associated with the Roche model distorted by centrifugal force alone constitute a Lamé family, of which one (-) coordinate can be defined by equipotential surfaces which are known in closed algebraic form; the other () becomes identical with the meridional planes of the rotationally distorted Roche model; while the third () then follows from the requirements of orthogonality to the others. The explicit form of such coordinates in terms of the polar or cartesian systems has already been established by the author (Kopal, 1970) correctly to quantities of the first order in superficial distortion of the respective Roche model. In the present paper this latter restriction on accuracy will be removed, and expressions constructed for the -coordinate in the form of infinite series which are exact and converge rapidly for any distortion below that which entails equatorial break-up.     

Effects of gravity-gradient torque on the rotational motion of A triaxial satellite in a precessing elliptic orbit

A method of general perturbations, based on the use of Lie series to generate approximate canonical transformations, is applied to study the effects of gravity-gradient torque on the rotational motion of a triaxial, rigid satellite. The center of mass of the satellite is constrained to move in an elliptic orbit about an attracting point mass. The orbit, which has a constant inclination, is free to precess and spin. The method of general perturbations is used to obtain the Hamiltonian for the nonresonant secular and long-period rotational motion of the satellite to second order inn/0, wheren is the orbital mean motion of the center of mass and0 is a reference value of the magnitude of the satellite's rotational angular velocity. The differential equations derivable from the transformed Hamiltonian are integrable and the solution for the long-term motion may be expressed in terms of Jacobian elliptic functions and elliptic integrals. Geometrical aspects of the long-term rotational motion are discussed and a comparison of theoretical results with observations is made.     

A semi-analytical method to study perturbed rotational motion

A semi-analytical method is presented to study the system of differential equations governing the rotational motion of an artificial satellite. Gravity gradient and non gravitational torques are considered. Operations with trigonometric series were performed using an algebraic manipulator. Andoyer's variables are used to describe the rotational motion. The osculating elements are transformed analytically into a mean set of elements. As the differential equations in the mean elements are free of fast frequency terms, their numerical integration can be performed using a large step size.     

Practical considerations in the numerical solution of theN-body problem by Taylor series methods

It is shown that in the numerical integration ofN-body problems, as much importance should be given to considerations of the computer programming language to be used as to questions of the accummulation of round-off and truncation error, the stability of the method chosen and the problem being treated. By careful programming processing time may be cut by a factor of 2 or 3 which is an important consideration in extended numerical investigations. The relative usefulness of differing strategies for determining the step size is discussed and in addition the usefulness is shown of treatingN-body problems by a Taylor series method.     

The problem of critical inclination combined with a resonance in mean motion in artificial satellite theory

In this paper the two-degree of freedom problem of a geosynchronous artificial satellite orbiting near the critical inclination is studied. First a local approach of this problem is considered. A semi-numerical method, well suited to describe the perturbations of a non-trivial separable system, is then applied such that surfaces of section illustrating the global secular dynamics are obtained. The results are confirmed by numerical integrations of the full Hamiltonian.Research Assistant for the Belgian National Fund for Scientific Research     

The motion of a satellite in a ring potential

This investigation presents the orbital elements of a satellite moving in a circular ring potential. The ring is considered to be of infinitesimal thickness and of unit radius. The components of the perturbing accelerations due to the ring potential have been substituded into the Gauss form of Lagrange's planetary equations to yield the first-order approximations. The elements of the orbit have been expressed by means of Hansen coefficients. The results include the effects produced by the 2nd, 4th, 6th, and 8th spherical harmonics. Due to their importance we present separately the secular terms from the periodic ones. The general expressions for the orbital elements can be easily extended to include the effects produced by any other higher harmonic.List of Symbols semi-major axis - C _jK ⁿ (u, ) cosine functions ofu and - e eccentricity of the orbit - f sin² - inclination of the orbit - M mean anomaly - n mean motion - p semi-latus rectum of the orbit - R, S, andW components of the perturbing acceleration - r magnitude of position vector - S _jK ⁿ (u, ) sine functions ofu and - T time of periapse passage - u argument of latitude - U gravitational potential - V perturbing potential - G(M _r +m) (gravitational constant times the sum of the masses of ring and satellite) - _{n, k} coefficients ofR component of disturbing acceleration (functions off) - _{n, k} coefficients ofS andW components of disturbing acceleration (functions off) - mean anomaly at timet=0 - X ₀ ^{n, m} zero-order Hansen coefficients - argument of periapse - longitude of the ascending node     

About the first integrals of the generalized problem of translatory-rotary motion of rigid bodies

The existence of ten first integrals for the classical problem of the motion of a system of material points, mutually attracting according to Newtonian law, is well known.The existence of the analogous ten first integrals for the more complicated problem of the motion of a system of absolutely rigid bodies, whose elementary particles mutually attract according to the Newtonian law, was established by the author (Duboshin, 1958, 1963, 1968).In his later papers (Duboshin, 1969, 1970), the problem of the motion of a system of material points, attracting each other according to a more general law, was considered and, in particular, it was shown under what conditions the ten first integrals, analogous to the classical integrals, may exist for this problem.In the present paper, the generalized problem of translatory-rotatory motion of rigid bodies, whose elementary particles acting upon each other according to arbitrary laws of forces along the straight line joining them, is discussed.The author has shown that the first integrals for this general problem, analogous to the integrals of the problem of the translatory-rotatory motion of rigid bodies, whose elementary particles acting according to the Newtonian law, exist under certain well known conditions.That is, it has been established that if the third axiom of dynamics (action = reaction) is satisfied, then the integrals of the motion of centre of inertia and the integrals of the moment of momentum exist for this generalized problem.If the third axiom is not satisfied, then the above mentioned integrals do not exist.The third axiom is a necessary but not a sufficient condition for the existence of the tenth integral-the energy integral. The tenth integral always exists if the elementary particles of the bodies acting with a force, depend only on the mutual distances between them. In this case the force function exists for the problem and the energy integral can be expressed in a well known form.The tenth integral may exist for some more general case, without expressing the principle of conservation of energy, but permitting calculation of the kinetic energy, if the configuration of a system is given.The problem, in which the elementary particles acting according to the generalized Veber's law (Tisserand, 1896) has been cited as an example of this more general case.     

The rotational motion in quiescent prominences

On the basis of Kippenhahn and Schlüter's magnetohydrostatic model of a quiescent prominence we have attempted to study the effect of a rotational velocity field in it. We find that a physically plausible solution is not possible in the vertical plane. A possibility, however, is shown in the horizontal plane, with certain assumptions to get equal velocity contours.     

A semi-analytic theory for the motion of a lunar satellite

A semi-analytical solution to the problem of the motion of a satellite of the moon is presented. Perturbative effects which are considered include those due to the attraction of the moon, earth, and sun, the non-sphericity of the moon's gravitational field, coupling of lower-order terms, solar radiation pressure, and physical libration. Short-period terms and intermediate-period terms, terms with the period of the moon's longitude, are produced by means of von Zeipel's method; it is proposed to obtain the secular perturbations, and those depending only on the argument of perilune, by numerical integration of the equations of motions. The short-period terms and intermediate-period terms are developed up to second order, where first order is 10^–2. The secular perturbations and perturbations dependent on the argument of perilune are obtained to third order.     

Construction of the semi-analytical and numerical solutions to the problem of rotational motion of the moon

New high-precision, semianalytical and numerical solutions to the problem of the rotational motion of the Moon are obtained, for use in the long 418.9-year time frame. The dynamics of the rotational motion of the Moon is studied numerically using the Rodrigues-Hamilton parameters, relative to the fixed ecliptic for the epoch J2000. The results of the numerical solution to the problem under study are compared with a compiled semianalytical theory of Moon rotation (SMR). The initial conditions for the numerical integration have been taken from the SMR. The comparative discrepancies derived from the comparison between the numerical solutions and the SMR do not exceed 1.5″ on the time-scale of 418.9 yr. The investigation of the comparative discrepancies between the numerical and semianalytical solutions is performed using the least squares and spectral analysis methods in the Newtonian case. All the periodic terms describing the behavior of the comparative discrepancies are interpreted as the corrections to the semianalytical SMR theory. As a result, the series are constructed to describe the rotation of the Moon (MRS2010) in the time interval under study. The numerical solution for the Moon’s rotation has been obtained anew, with new initial conditions calculated using MRS2010. The discrepancies between the new numerical solution and MRS2010 do not exceed 20 arc milliseconds on the time-scale of 418.9 years. The results of the comparison suggest that that the MRS2010 series describe the rotation of the Moon more correctly than the SMR series.     

Tidal effects and the motion of a satellite

The effect of resonant planetary perturbations on the evolution of the orbit of a satellite driven by tidal forces is studied in this paper. The basic equations that govern it are similar to the equations found in orbit-orbit and in spin-orbit couplings. The general form of these equations is: A general treatment of such equations, proposed earlier (J. Kovalevsky, in Dynamical Trapping and Evolution of the Solar system, IAU Colloquium n^o74, V. V. Markellos and Y. Kozai, eds., 1983) is sketched.In particular, the effects of the large long periodic variations of the excentricity e' of the planet are analysed on an example taken from the lunar theory and the Earth's general theory due to Bretagnon.The argument of the well known planetary term =18 V-16T due to the tidal friction and quasi-periodic variations due to the presence of e' in the expression of the mean motion of the Moon. Their joint effect, has been to produce in the past resonant situations for this argument that repeated more than 100 times. Every such situation can be treated by equation (1).Numerical integration, using conditions that might have occurred while or similar other arguments were quasi resonant, have produced the following results: (a) In some cases, the argument becomes temporarily resonant. Between the capture to and the escape from the resonance, the semi-major axis undergoes oscillations, but the tidal secular evolution is stopped. (b) In other cases, the argument is not trapped into a resonant conditions, but the semi-major axis undergoes a quick change while d/dt is close to zero.A number of arguments that have been quasi resonant in the past history of the Earth-Moon system has been identified from the Chapront and Chapront-Touzé Lunar Theory. It appears that the phenomena described are frequent features in the evolution of the Lunar orbit.     

The motion of a satellite in an axi-symmetric gravitational field

The equations for the variation of the osculating elements of a satellite moving in an axi-symmetric gravitational field are integrated to yield the complete first-order perturbations for the elements of the orbit. The expressions obtained include the effects produced by the second to eighth spherical harmonics. The orbital elements are presented in the most general form of summations by means of Hansen coefficients. Due to their general forms it is a simple matter to estimate the perturbations of any higher harmonic by simply increasing the index of summation. Finally, this paper gives the respective general expressions for the secular perturbations of the orbital elements. The formulae presented should be useful for the reductions of Earth-satellite observations and geopotential studies based on them.List of Symbols semi-major axis - C _jk ⁿ (, ) cosine functions of and - e eccentricity of the orbit - f acceleration vector of perturbing force - f sin²t - i inclination of the orbit - J _n coefficients in the potential expansion - M mean anomaly - n mean motion - p semi-latus rectum of the orbit - R, S, andW components of the perturbing acceleration - r radius-vector of satellite - r magnitude ofr - S _jk ⁿ (, ) sine functions of and - T time of perigee passage - u argument of latitude - U gravitational potential - true anomaly - V perturbing potential - G(M₊+m) (gravitational constant times the sum of the masses of Earth and satellite) - _n,k coefficients ofR component of disturbing acceleration (funtions off) - _n,k coefficients ofS andW components of disturbing acceleration (functions off) - mean anomaly at timet=0 - X ₀ ^n,m zero-order Hansen coefficients - argument of perigee - right ascension of the ascending node     

The two-body problem of a pseudo-rigid body and a rigid sphere

In this paper we consider the two-body problem of a spherical pseudo-rigid body and a rigid sphere. Due to the rotational and “re-labelling” symmetries, the system is shown to possess conservation of angular momentum and circulation. We follow a reduction procedure similar to that undertaken in the study of the two-body problem of a rigid body and a sphere so that the computed reduced non-canonical Hamiltonian takes a similar form. We then consider relative equilibria and show that the notions of locally central and planar equilibria coincide. Finally, we show that Riemann’s theorem on pseudo-rigid bodies has an extension to this system for planar relative equilibria.     

The motion of a satellite in resonance with the second-degree sectorial harmonic

The solution to the motion of a satellite in an eccentric orbit and in resonance with the second-degree sectorial harmonic of the potential field is developed. The method of solution used parallels the well known von Zeipel method of general perturbations. The solution consists of expressions for the variations of the Delaunay variables. These expressions are composed of the perturbations developed by Brouwer in 1959 for the motion of an artificial satellite plus first-order perturbations due to the second-degree sectorial harmonic (in terms of the Legendre normal elliptic integrals of the first and second kind).This paper presents the results of one phase of research carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under Contract No. NAS 7-100, sponsored by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.