Problems: Set V

1. A particle in a central field moves in the spiral orbit = 2 . Determine the form of
the force function. Also determine how the angle varies with time.

2. A comet is observed to have a speed 0 when it is a distance ro from the sun, and its
direction of motion makes angle with the radius vector from the sun. Find the
eccentricity of the comet's orbit.

3. If the solar system was embedded in a uniform dust cloud of density , what would be
the law of force on a planet a distance from the centre of the sun?

4. A particle moving in a central field describes the spiral orbit = 0 . Show that the
force law is inverse-cube and that varies logarithmically with t.

5. A particle moves in an inverse-cube field of force. Show that, in addition to the

exponential spiral orbit of Problem 4, there are two other possible types of orbit, and
give their equations.

6. The orbit of a particle moving in a central field is a circle passing through the origin,
namely = 0 cos . Show that the force law is inverse fifth power.

7. A particle moves in a spiral orbit given by = . If increases linearly with , is

the force a central field? If not, determine how would have to vary with for a
central force.

8. A particle of mass moves in the central force field (/ 2 ), where is a

positive constant. Show that bounded and unbounded orbits are possible depending on
the value of .

9. An asteroid approaches the Sun with speed along a line whose perpendicular
distance from the Sun is . Find the angle through which the asteroid is deflected by
the Sun.

10. A comet is first seen at a distance of astronomical units from the sun and it is
traveling with a speed of times the earth's speed. Show that the orbit of the comet is
hypcrbolic, parabolic, or elliptic, depending on whether the quantity 2 is greater
than, equal to, or less than 2, respectively.

11. A particle moves in an elliptic orbit in an inverse-square force field. Prove that the
product of the minimum and maximum speeds is equal to (2/)2 where is the
semimajor axis and is the periodic time.

12. A body moving in an inverse square attractive field traverses an elliptical orbit with
eccentricity and period . Find the time taken for the body to traverse the half of the
orbit that is nearer the centre of force.
13. Prove that the time average of the potential energy of a particle describing an elliptical
orbit, in the inversesquare force field () = 2 is, / , where is the
semimajor axis of the ellipse.

14. Show that the stability condition for a circular orbit of radius is equivalent to the
condition that 2 2 > 0 , for = where () is the "effective potential"
defined in your class.

15. Find the condition for which circular orbits are stable if the forcefunction in a central

field is of the form () = 2 4.

16. Show that a circular orbit of radius is stable for a force field = if is less
2
than 1 .