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    ps5 2023

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    Kalua Bhai
    This document contains 5 physics problems related to central force motion: 1) It asks to show that the Laplace-Runge-Lenz vector is a constant of motion for an elliptic orbit under an inverse-square central potential, and evaluate time and angular averages of the radius. 2) It considers motion in a power-law potential and asks to find conditions for stable circular orbits, and ratios of oscillation and orbital frequencies. 3) It asks what speed factor an alien spacecraft needs to change its circular orbit to a parabola by applying a tangential thrust. 4) It asks to find the central potential that leads to a spiral orbit of a given form. 5)

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    ps5 2023

    Uploaded by

    Kalua Bhai
    30 views2 pages
    This document contains 5 physics problems related to central force motion: 1) It asks to show that the Laplace-Runge-Lenz vector is a constant of motion for an elliptic orbit under an inverse-square central potential, and evaluate time and angular averages of the radius. 2) It considers motion in a power-law potential and asks to find conditions for stable circular orbits, and ratios of oscillation and orbital frequencies. 3) It asks what speed factor an alien spacecraft needs to change its circular orbit to a parabola by applying a tangential thrust. 4) It asks to find the central potential that leads to a spiral orbit of a given form. 5)

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    This document contains 5 physics problems related to central force motion: 1) It asks to show that the Laplace-Runge-Lenz vector is a constant of motion for an elliptic orbit under an inverse-square central potential, and evaluate time and angular averages of the radius. 2) It considers motion in a power-law potential and asks to find conditions for stable circular orbits, and ratios of oscillation and orbital frequencies. 3) It asks what speed factor an alien spacecraft needs to change its circular orbit to a parabola by applying a tangential thrust. 4) It asks to find the central potential that leads to a spiral orbit of a given form. 5)

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    30 views2 pages

    ps5 2023

    Uploaded by

    Kalua Bhai
    This document contains 5 physics problems related to central force motion: 1) It asks to show that the Laplace-Runge-Lenz vector is a constant of motion for an elliptic orbit under an inverse-square central potential, and evaluate time and angular averages of the radius. 2) It considers motion in a power-law potential and asks to find conditions for stable circular orbits, and ratios of oscillation and orbital frequencies. 3) It asks what speed factor an alien spacecraft needs to change its circular orbit to a parabola by applying a tangential thrust. 4) It asks to find the central potential that leads to a spiral orbit of a given form. 5)

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    of 2

    DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS

    INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, MADRAS

    PH1010 Physics I Tutorial 5 After Sarang Break.

    1. A particle of mass m is moving in an elliptic orbit (with eccentricity ) in a central


    potential U (r) = −k/r, where k is a positive constant.

    (a) Show that the Laplace-Runge-Lenz vector


     1/2
    ~= − 1 ~ × p~]
    A [mk êr + L
    2mE
    is a constant of motion. Can you provide a geometric interpretation for this
    vector? Hint: First evaluate it explicitly.
    (b) Define the time-average and angular-average of a function in phase space O(~r, ~v )
    as follows:
    1 T
    Z Z 2π
    1
    hOit ≡ dt O , hOiϕ ≡ dϕ O .
    T 0 2π 0
    Evaluate the average for O = r. Do the two averages lead to the same result?
    (c) Virial Theorem: Calculate the time-average of the kinetic energy and the po-
    tential energy of the particle. Show that the ratio equals −1/2.

    2. A particle of mass m moves in a potential given by V (r) = βrk . Let the angular
    momentum be L.

    (a) Find the radius, r0 , of the circular orbit. What is the condition on β and k such
    that one gets stable circular orbits.
    (b) If the particle is given a tiny kick so that the radius oscillates around r0 , find the
    frequency, ωr , of these small oscillations in r.
    (c) What is the ratio of the frequency ωr to the frequency of the (nearly) circular
    motion, (ωθ ≡ θ̇)? Give a few values of k for which the ratio is rational, that is,
    for which the path of the nearly circular motion closes back on itself.

    3. An alien spacecraft is traveling around the planet earth in a circular orbit. Zorg who is
    captaining the spacecraft suddenly applies a thrust and increases its speed by a factor
    f . If the goal is to change the orbit from a circle to a parabola, what should f be if
    the thrust points in the tangential direction?
    Disclaimer: No alien called Zorg was hurt in the framing of this question.

    4. Find the central potential V (r) that leads to a spiral orbit of the form r = r0 eαθ . Hint:
    Remember that both the angular momentum L, and the total energy E are constants of
    motion.

    5. Investigate the motion of a particle that is repelled by a force center in accordance


    with the law F (r) = kr. Show that the resultant orbit can only be hyperbolic.

    1
    6. Consider a particle of mass m moving in an attractive central force field given by
    F (r) = −k/r3 . Analyze the different orbits that obtains for different values of the
    total energy E. Discuss whether a stable circular orbit obtains for a particle that
    moves in the above force field.

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