A Study of Planetary Motion Using Mathematica.

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A Study of Planetary Motion Using Mathematica

Mustafa Ali
PHYS-1607 (Fall 2003) Dr. Edward Thomas Jr.

3 November 2003

Problem 1: Analyzing the Basic Simulation

This simulation models planetary motion by iterating through physics equations that define a satellites orbit and motion at any given time. The iterating variable is n , which loops from 0 to 1 in steps of Nstep.

The equation above calculates the distance between the planet 0, 0 and the satellite x2, y2 after every interval n using the Pythagorean theorem.

The set of two equations above calculates the centripetal acceleration of the satellite at every interval n using Newton's law of gravity. The equation below calculates this acceleration, where GrM specifies the magnitude while -r is a unit vector 2 pointing inward towards the planet. GM ` acceleration = 2 r , r where G = Universal Gravitational Constant M = Mass of the planet m = Mass of the satellite r = vector x2, y2 from the planet to the satellite at any time r = abs r = the distance between the planet and the satellite

Splitting this into the x-component and y-component, we get: ax ay

alpha x2 r3 alpha y2 r3

3 2 41 1 ) ( 01 1

''

' '& ' '&

G M * r r 2 r alpha = r 3 r



"

%$ !

# #

 

   

 

 

ax n ay n

alpha x2 n alpha y2 n

r n ^3 ; r n ^3 ;

r n

x2 n ^ 2

y2 n ^ 2

^ 0.5;

A Study of Planetary Motion Using Mathematica.nb

Problem 2 a: Exploring possibilities by varying initial position

In this section, we will study how varying initial position of satellites (while keeping velocity fixed) affects the orbit of satellites. Studying the orbits in context of their total orbital energy will help us better understand these paths. Total orbital energy is defined as: KE PE , ETotal

where KE = kinetic energy of satellite PE = gravitational potential energy of planet acting on satellite G M m2 1 2 m2 v0 where m2 = mass of satellite 2 r M = mass of planet v0 = initial velocity r = distance from planet to satellite There are two special levels of energy for orbit: (a) Emin = minimum energy required to keep in orbit at distance r. Emin is the point where gravitional acceleration equals GMm GM m GM m centripetal acceleration. Here, Emin = r - = - . 2 r r (b) Eesc = energy beyond which the satellite will swing out of orbit. Eesc = 0 because this is the critical point where |KE| of the satellite is equal to the |PE| . Orbit paths can be categorized as one of following: If ETotal < Emin , the satellite will crash into the planet If ETotal = Emin , the satellite will orbit the planet in a perfect circle If Emin < ETotal < Eesc , the satellite will adopt an elliptical orbit If ETotal Eesc , the satellite will swing out of orbit in a parabola or hyperbola The initial velocity will be fixed at vy 0.7, but the initial position will vary 1.5 x2 0 4 . The three plots below show orbits for satellites initially placed 1.5, 2.75, and 4 units respectively from the planet's center. When initial position of the satellite is set 1.5 units from the planet, we see an elliptical orbit that is almost a circular orbit. Using our categorizations above, we know that the total orbital energy right now is slightly greater than the energy during a perfectly circular orbit.

A Study of Planetary Motion Using Mathematica.nb

Initial Position at 1.5i

-4

-2

-2

-4

When initial position of the satellite is increased to 2.75 units from the planet, the satellite adopts a much more elliptical orbit. This means that the total energy of the orbit has increased, but it is still negative (i.e. below threshold to swing it out of orbit).
Initial Position at 2.75i

-4

-2

-2

-4

Increasing this initial position to 4 units, however, the satellite escapes out of the planet's gravitational field. At this point,

A Study of Planetary Motion Using Mathematica.nb

the total energy of the orbit is positive, and the satellite is lost for ever.
Initial Position at 4.i

-4

-2

-2

-4

Problem 2 b: Exploring possibilities by varying initial velocity

In the last section, we studied changes in orbit by varying initial position. Now we will do the same by keeping initial position constant but varying the initial velocity of the satellite. The initial position will be fixed at x2 0 2 units, but the 1 . The three plots below show orbits for satellites initially travelling at 0.2, 0.6, and initial velocity will vary 0.2 vy 0 1 units/sec respectively from the planet's center. When initial velocity of the satellite is 0.2 units/sec, we see the satellite crash into the planet. This unfortunate incident occurs because the kinetic energy of the satellite (and hence the total energy of the orbit) was not enough to keep the satellite in orbit. .

A Study of Planetary Motion Using Mathematica.nb

-4

-2

-2

-4

The satellite's success is more promising when the initial velocity is increased to 0.6 units/sec. With its total energy between orbital and escape energy, it has attained a slightly elliptical orbit.

Initial Velocity 0.6j units sec

-4

-2

-2

-4

Increasing this initial position to 1 unit/sec, however, the satellite's kinetic energy has surpassed the gravitational potential

Initial Velocity

0.2j units sec

A Study of Planetary Motion Using Mathematica.nb

energy. With a positive orbital energy, the planet is unable to keep the satellite in orbit, which swings out into the unknown.

Initial Velocity 1.j units sec

-4

-2

-2

-4

Problem 3: Simulating an Earth-like planet

We will now simulate the orbit of a 1000 kg satellite around an Earth-like planet, and study the orbit as the satellite's initial velocity varies between the orbital velocity and the escape velocity. Escape Velocity is defined as vesc 2 vorb

Orbital Velocity is defined as vorb

In order to choose five initial velocities ranging from orbital to escape velocity, we use the following five formulae: Orbital Velocity a) vy 0 c) vy 0

The number line below gives a quick sketch of where these initial velocities lie relative to each other. The leftmost point is the orbital velocity while the rightmost point is the escape velocity. The other three points are velocities that lie between the orbital velocity and the escape velocity.

d) vy 0 e) vy 0

Escape Velocity

b) vy 0

3 Orbital Velocity 4 Escape Velocity Orbital Velocity Escape Velocity 2 Orbital Velocity 3 Escape Velocity 4

alpha x2 0

5776.07m/s 8168.6m/s

A Study of Planetary Motion Using Mathematica.nb

5500

6000

6500

7000

7500

8000

8500

Appendix A is a mathematica notebook that simulates these five orbits Plot (a) uses orbital velocity as the initial velocity, giving us a perfectly circular orbit. As the initial velocity successively increases from Plot (b) to Plot (d), the orbit becomes more and more elliptical. By Plot (e), where initial velocity is the escape velocity of the orbit, the satellite swings out of the planet's gravitational field and does not return to its original position.

Problem 4: Simulating a satellite influenced by a planet and its moon

In Problem 3, we investigated the orbit patterns of satellites when under the gravitational influence of a large body. In this section, we will determine the behavior of similar satellites when under influence of both a planet and a large moon. Appendix B is a mathematica notebook simulating such a situation with three different masses for the moon. In each successive plot, it is clear that increasing the mass of the moon produces more powerful deviations in the minor satellite's orbit path.

Five initial velocities to study orbits.

m s