QUICK ASIDE 5.

1 - Short hand notation for speed and acceleration

We will use a short hand notation for the acceleration
Quantity Variable As a time derivative Shorthand
Position r r
Speed v
dr
dt
r
Acceleration a
dv
dt
=
d
2
r
dt
2
r
Use Newtons second law + Law of Gravitation for the stars separately to write down force law for the
combined system.
The Law of gravitation tells us the gravitational force between the 2 stars is F(r)
F(r) =
GM
1
M
2
r
2
(5.2)
Newtons 2nd law says that force = mass acceleration. So that
M
1
r
1
= F(r) (5.3)
M
2
r
2
= F(r) (5.4)
(5.5)
We want to write an equivalent equation for the combined system
M r = F(r) (5.6)
This is in terms of the total distance separating the two stars, r = r
1
+r
2
and an eective reduced mass,
M which we have to nd an expression for in terms of M
1
and M
2
.
r
1
=
F(r)
M
1
(5.7)
r
2
=
F(r)
M
2
(5.8)
r = r
1
+ r
2
=
F(r)
M
1
+
F(r)
M
2
(5.9)
r =

1
M
1
+
1
M
2

F(r) (5.10)
r =

M
1
+M
2
M
1
M
2

F(r) (5.11)

M
1
M
2
M
1
+M
2

r = F(r) (5.12)
therefore the reduced mass, M,
M =
M
1
M
2
M
1
+M
2
(5.13)
Note that if M
1
M
2
then M M
1
. This is exactly the case in our solar system where M
sun
M
planet
,
so that Keplers laws have M M
sun
.
3
Derivation of the Reduced Mass of a Binary System