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3 November 2003
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
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;
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.
-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,
the total energy of the orbit is positive, and the satellite is lost for ever.
Initial Position at 4.i
-4
-2
-2
-4
-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.
-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
energy. With a positive orbital energy, the planet is unable to keep the satellite in orbit, which swings out into the unknown.
-4
-2
-2
-4
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
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.
m s