Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Numerical integration of stellar orbits

  • Published:
Celestial mechanics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Five methods for numerically integrating stellar orbits in a time-independent, steady potential are compared in efficiency and accuracy. The methods are: Fehlberg's (1972) treatment of the Runge-Kutta method, Krogh's (1971) variable-order Adam's method, an extrapolation method described by Stoer (1974) and two orders of the implicit single-sequence method of Everhart (1974). It is found that Fehlberg's 6th-order Runge-Kutta is the fastest but also the least accurate. The new method of Everhart seems a good compromise between efficiency and accuracy in this problem.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bulirsch, R. and Stoer, J.: 1966,Numerical Math. 8, 1.

    Google Scholar 

  • Everhart, E.: 1974,Celest. Mech. 10, 35.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fehlberg, E.: 1972, NASA-TR R381.

  • House, F., Innanen, K., and Keenan, D.: 1975,Celest. Mech. 11, 3.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hussels, H.-G.: 1973, Diplom-Arbeit, Univ. Köln.

  • Innanen, K.: 1973,Astrophys. Space Sci. 22, 393.

    Google Scholar 

  • Innanen, K., House, F., and Smith, C.: 1971,Celest. Mech. 3, 145.

    Google Scholar 

  • Krogh, F.: 1971, JPL Doc., Section 314 TM-278, JPL, Pasadena.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ollongren, A.: 1962,Bull. Astron. Inst. Neth. 16, 241.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stoer, J.: 1974, in D. Bettis (ed.),Proc. Conf. on Numerical Solution of Ordinary Differential Equations, Springer, New York.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Astronomisches Institut der Ruhr-Universität, D-4630, Bochum, FRG

    F. House, G. Weiss & R. Wiegandt

Authors
  1. F. House
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. G. Weiss
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. R. Wiegandt
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

House, F., Weiss, G. & Wiegandt, R. Numerical integration of stellar orbits. Celestial Mechanics 18, 311–318 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01230345

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01230345

Keywords

Search

Navigation