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Secular Motion in a 2nd Degree and Order-Gravity Field with no Rotation

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Abstract

The motion of a particle about a non-rotating 2nd degree and order-gravity field is investigated. Averaging conditions are applied to the particle motion and a qualitative analysis which reveals the general character of motion in this system is given. It is shown that the orbit plane will either be stationary or precess about the body's axis of minimum or maximum moment of inertia. It is also shown that the secular equations for this system can be integrated in terms of trigonometric, hyperbolic or elliptic functions. The explicit solutions are derived in all cases of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Aerospace Engineering, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-2140

    D. J. Scheeres & W. Hu

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  1. D. J. Scheeres
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  2. W. Hu
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Scheeres, D.J., Hu, W. Secular Motion in a 2nd Degree and Order-Gravity Field with no Rotation. Celestial Mechanics and Dynamical Astronomy 79, 183–200 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1017555005699

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1017555005699

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