Abstract
Coulomb thrusting presents attractive prospects in many astronautical missions from the standpoint of close-proximity formation flying. In this study, a dynamical model of Coulomb formation and its Hamiltonian is derived on the basis of the Tschauner–Hempel equation. As a nonautonomous system, it is more complicated than the dynamical model based on the Clohessy–Wiltshire equation. The Lagrangian coherent structure (LCS), a useful tool for describing the dynamical behavior of nonautonomous systems, is used to study the Coulomb formation dynamics, design, and reconfiguration. Simulation results show that, in the autonomous case of Coulomb formation, the LCS coincides with the invariant manifolds in the proper Poincaré section. When it is extended to the nonautonomous case with a small-eccentricity reference orbit, the global morphology of the Coulomb formation dynamics remains almost unchanged. Based on the property that the LCS can act as the transport barrier in dynamical systems, it is used to construct homoclinic and heteroclinic orbits and search for invariant relative orbits and transfer trajectories for formation design and reconfiguration.
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs11071-020-05968-x/MediaObjects/11071_2020_5968_Fig1_HTML.png)
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs11071-020-05968-x/MediaObjects/11071_2020_5968_Fig2_HTML.png)
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs11071-020-05968-x/MediaObjects/11071_2020_5968_Fig3_HTML.png)
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs11071-020-05968-x/MediaObjects/11071_2020_5968_Fig4_HTML.png)
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs11071-020-05968-x/MediaObjects/11071_2020_5968_Fig5_HTML.png)
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs11071-020-05968-x/MediaObjects/11071_2020_5968_Fig6_HTML.png)
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs11071-020-05968-x/MediaObjects/11071_2020_5968_Fig7_HTML.png)
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs11071-020-05968-x/MediaObjects/11071_2020_5968_Fig8_HTML.png)
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs11071-020-05968-x/MediaObjects/11071_2020_5968_Fig9_HTML.png)
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs11071-020-05968-x/MediaObjects/11071_2020_5968_Fig10_HTML.png)
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs11071-020-05968-x/MediaObjects/11071_2020_5968_Fig11_HTML.png)
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs11071-020-05968-x/MediaObjects/11071_2020_5968_Fig12_HTML.png)
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs11071-020-05968-x/MediaObjects/11071_2020_5968_Fig13_HTML.png)
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs11071-020-05968-x/MediaObjects/11071_2020_5968_Fig14_HTML.png)
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs11071-020-05968-x/MediaObjects/11071_2020_5968_Fig15_HTML.png)
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs11071-020-05968-x/MediaObjects/11071_2020_5968_Fig16_HTML.png)
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs11071-020-05968-x/MediaObjects/11071_2020_5968_Fig17_HTML.png)
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs11071-020-05968-x/MediaObjects/11071_2020_5968_Fig18_HTML.png)
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs11071-020-05968-x/MediaObjects/11071_2020_5968_Fig19_HTML.png)
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs11071-020-05968-x/MediaObjects/11071_2020_5968_Fig20_HTML.png)
Similar content being viewed by others
References
King, L.B., Parker, G.G., Deshmukh, S., Chong, J.H.: Spacecraft formation-flying using inter-vehicle coulomb forces. NIAC Phase I Final Report (2012)
Hughes, J., Schaub, H.: Prospects of using a pulsed electrostatic tractor with nominal geosynchronous conditions. IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci. 45(8), 1887–1897 (2017)
Bengtson, M., Hughes, J., Schaub, H.: Prospects and challenges for touchless sensing of spacecraft electrostatic potential using electrons. IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci. 47(8), 3673–3681 (2019)
Torkar, K., Nakamura, R., Tajmar, M., Scharlemann, C., Jeszenszky, H., Laky, G., Fremuth, G., Escoubet, C.P., Svenes, K.: Active spacecraft potential control investigation. Space Sci. Rev. 199(1–4), 515–544 (2016)
Mullen, E.G., Gussenhoven, M.S., Hardy, D.A., Aggson, T.A., Ledley, B.G., Whipple, E.: SCATHA survey of high-level spacecraft charging in sunlight. J. Geophys. Res. Space Phys. 91(A2), 1474–1490 (1986)
Whipple, E.C., Olsen, R.C.: Importance of differential charging for controlling both natural and induced vehicle potentials on ATS-5 and ATS-6. NASA, Lewis Research Center Spacecraft Charging Technol. (1980)
Escoubet, C.P., Fehringer, M., Goldstein, M.: Introduction the cluster mission. Ann. Geophys. 19(10/12), 1197–1200 (2001)
Felicetti, L., Palmerini, G.B.: Analytical and numerical investigations on spacecraft formation control by using electrostatic forces. Acta Astronaut. 123, 455–469 (2016)
Felicetti, L., Palmerini, G.B.: Three spacecraft formation control by means of electrostatic forces. Aerosp. Sci. Technol. 48, 261–271 (2016)
Qi, R., Misra, A.K.: Dynamics of double-pyramid satellite formations interconnected by tethers and coulomb forces. J. Guid. Control Dyn. 39(6), 1265–1277 (2016)
Tahir, A.M., Narang-Siddarth, A.: Constructive nonlinear approach to coulomb formation control. In: 2018 AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference, pp. 0868 (2018)
Stevenson, D., Schaub, H.: Multi-sphere method for modeling spacecraft electrostatic forces and torques. Adv. Space Res. 51(1), 10–20 (2013)
Schaub, H., Stevenson, D.: Prospects of relative attitude control using coulomb actuation. J. Astronaut. Sci. 60(3–4), 258–277 (2013)
Stevenson, D.: Remote spacecraft attitude control by coulomb charging. Dissertations & Theses, University of Colorado Boulder (2015)
Aslanov, V.S.: Exact solutions and adiabatic invariants for equations of satellite attitude motion under Coulomb torque. Nonlinear Dyn. 90(4), 2545–2556 (2017)
Aslanov, V.S.: Spatial dynamics and control of a two-craft coulomb formation. J. Guid. Control Dyn. 42(12), 2722–2730 (2019)
Nave, G.K., Nolan, P.J., Ross, S.D.: Trajectory-free approximation of phase space structures using the trajectory divergence rate. Nonlinear Dyn. 96(1), 685–702 (2019)
Haller, G., Yuan, G.: Lagrangian coherent structures and mixing in two-dimensional turbulence. Phys. D Nonlinear Phenom 147(3–4), 352–370 (2000)
Haller, G.: Distinguished material surfaces and coherent structures in three-dimensional fluid flows. Phys D Nonlinear Phenom 149(4), 248–277 (2001)
Kuehn, C., Romano, F., Kuhlmann, H.C.: Tracking particles in flows near invariant manifolds via balance functions. Nonlinear Dyn. 92(3), 983–1000 (2018)
Short, C.R., Howell, K.C.: Lagrangian coherent structures in various map representations for application to multi-body gravitational regimes. Acta Astronaut. 94(2), 592–607 (2014)
Qi, R., Xu, S.J.: Applications of Lagrangian coherent structures to expression of invariant manifolds in astrodynamics. Astrophys. Space Sci. 351(1), 125–133 (2014)
Sanchez-Martin, P., Masdemont, J.J., Romero-Gomez, M.: From manifolds to Lagrangian coherent structures in galactic bar models. Astron. Astrophys. 618, A72 (2018)
Yeates, A.R., Hornig, G., Welsch, B.T.: Lagrangian coherent structures in photospheric flows and their implications for coronal magnetic structure. Astron. Astrophys. 539, A1 (2012)
Tanaka, M.L., Ross, S.D.: Separatrices and basins of stability from time series data: an application to biodynamics. Nonlinear Dyn. 58(1–2), 1–21 (2009)
Hadjighasem, A., Farazmand, M., Haller, G.: Detecting invariant manifolds, attractors, and generalized KAM tori in aperiodically forced mechanical systems. Nonlinear Dyn. 73(1–2), 689–704 (2013)
Shadden, S.C., Lekien, F., Marsden, J.E.: Definition and properties of Lagrangian coherent structures from finite-time Lyapunov exponents in two-dimensional aperiodic flows. Phys D Nonlinear Phenom 212(3–4), 271–304 (2005)
Lin, M., Xu, M., Fu, X.: GPU-accelerated computing for Lagrangian coherent structures of multi-body gravitational regimes. Astrophys. Space Sci. 362(4), 66 (2017)
Jones, D.R.: A dynamical systems theory analysis of Coulomb spacecraft formations. Dissertations & Theses, University of Texas at Austin (2013)
Koon, W.S., Lo, M.W., Marsden, J.E., Ross, S.D.: Heteroclinic connections between periodic orbits and resonance transitions in celestial mechanics. Chaos Interdiscip. J. Nonlinear Sci. 10(2), 427–469 (2000)
Broucke, R.: Stability of periodic orbits in the elliptic, restricted three-body problem. AIAA J. 7(6), 1003–1009 (1969)
Acknowledgements
The research is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (11772024, 11432001), and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (YWF-16-BJ-Y-10).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Appendix
Appendix
The Jacobian matrix of Eq. (11) is given by
where
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lin, M., Zheng, Y. & Xu, M. Application of Lagrangian coherent structures to Coulomb formation on elliptic orbit. Nonlinear Dyn 102, 2649–2668 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11071-020-05968-x
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11071-020-05968-x