Rotational dynamics of celestial bodies

In this paper the ‘class of near homoaxial rotations’ is defined, being suitable for treatment of problems of nonuniform rotation of stars. This class is represented by a proper form of the so-called ‘velocity tensor’, the latter describing efficiently the motion of a deformable finite material continuum in the common frame. The ‘class of particular near homoaxial rotations’ is then defined, characterized by simple transformation equations of the velocity tensor in two noninertial frames; namely, in a ‘frame rotating uniformly’ relative to the common frame, and in a ‘frame rotating nonuniformly’ relative to it. A sufficient condition is also derived so that a near homoaxial rotation be reducible to a particular one. ‘Preferred frames’ are then defined in the sense that they preserve a near homoaxial rotation in its class when referring thismotion; that is, such frames keep invariant the intertial class of the motion. Finally, a method is proposed for constructing a nonuniformly rotating preferred frame, to which a near homoaxial rotation is referred simply as ‘radial distortion’.