Mathematics 3H MRDB

Exercises 2
1. At a particular instant, a satellite of mass m is at a distance d (> R) from the centre of the earth and
has speed v perpendicular to the line joining it to the centre of the earth.
(a) Show that the energy E and angular momentum mh of the satellite are given by:
E =
1
2
mv
2

GMm
d
, mh = mdv.
Under what condition on v does the satellite leave the earths gravitational eld?
[Hint: Consider the limit r .]
(b) For a closed orbit, for which the total energy E is negative, show that the minimun and maximum
distances of the satellite from the centre of the Earth are the roots of
r
2
+
GMm
E
r
mh
2
2E
= 0, ()
and hence that the sum of the minimum and maximum distance of the satellite from the centre of the
earth is
GMm
E
.
[Hint: Equation (*) is equivalent to (r r
max
)(r r
min
) = 0.]
(c) Deduce that, when E < 0, the satellite performs complete revolutions of the earth provided
v
2
>
2ER
md
.
[Hint: from the given information, r = d is either a minimum or maximum distance, and the minimum
distance must exceed R.]
2. Starting from Newtons second law, derive the equation
d
2
u
d
2
+ u =
GM
h
2
,
for the motion of a spacecraft, mass m whose distance is r = 1/u from the centre of the Earth (mass M).
The angular momentum of the spacecraft is mh.
(a) The spacecraft is in a circular orbit of radius R. Determine its speed.
(b) A rapid burning of the spacecrafts rocket motor results in an (eectively instantaneous) increase in
its speed to V (without any initial change in direction). Show that
u =

1
R

GM
R
2
V
2

cos(
0
) +
GM
R
2
V
2
,
where the spacecraft is at =
0
when the rocket is red. Hence deduce that that spacecraft will remain
in a bounded orbit if
V
2
<
2GM
R
.
3. Given that the orbit of a particle of mass m under the central force F = m/r
2
e
r
is given by the polar
equation
r =

1 + e cos
,
show that
r =
ehsin

,
where mh is the magnitude of the angular momentum of the particle and and e are constants.
Show that the equation of conservation of energy can then be written as
m
2
2
(h
2
+ e
2
h
2
2) +
me cos

2
(h
2
) = E.
Hence determine and e in terms of m, , h and the energy E of the particle.
4. Consider the central force F = m/r
4
e
r
. Determine whether or not there exist circular orbits and
whether or not these orbits are stable using the perturbation method. [You may use, without proof, the
perturbation method result from the lecture notes.]
Consider also the eective potential energy and how it relates to the orbit stability.
5. A particle of mass m moves in a circular orbit of radius R under the central force of magnitude
me
r
2
r
2
,
directed towards the origin, where is a positive constant. Show that this orbit is stable if R <

2/2.
[You may use, without proof, the perturbation method result from the lecture notes.]
2