MIT OpenCourseWare

http://ocw.mit.edu

16.346 Astrodynamics
Fall 2008

For information about citing these materials or our Terms of Use, visit: http://ocw.mit.edu/terms.

Exercises 01
1. Given

a = 2ix iy + iz
b = ix + 2iy iz
c = ix + iy 2iz

nd a vector parallel to the plane of b and c and perpendicular to a .

2. Find the angle between the vectors
a = ix + iy + 2iz
b = 2ix iy + iz
3. The vectors from the origin to the points A , B , C are
a = i x + iy i z
b = 3ix + 3iy + 2iz
c = 3ix iy 2iz
Find the distance from the origin to the plane A B C .
4. By means of products express the condition that three vectors a, b , c be parallel to
a plane.
5. Prob G4 Consider a triangle with sides a, b and c . If a , b and c are vectors
representing the sides of the triangle, use Vector Algebra to derive the Law of Cosines
c2 = a2 + b2 2ab cos
6. Prob 313 From the pericenter and apocenter radii rp and ra , the semimajor and
semiminor axes and the parameter of an orbit can be conveniently obtained. Show
that
1 1
1
1
2r p ra

1
=
+
b = rp r a
a = 2 (rp + ra )
or p =
p
2 rp
ra
rp + r a

7. Prob 31 To derive the equations of motion in polar coordinates we dierentiate the

vector representing the velocity in polar coordinates. We have
2

d 2
d r
d2
dr d

dv
=
+ r 2 i = 2 ir
r
ir + 2
a=
2
dt
dt
dt
dt dt
dt
r
so that

d 2

d2 r

r
+
=0
dt2
dt
r2

and

d2
dr d
+r 2 =0
dt dt
dt

8. Prob. 36 The second of these equations of motion can be integrated to produce

Keplers second law
d
r2
=h
dt
which, in this form, also provides a transformation of independent variable from t to
as given by
dr d
h dr
dr
=
= 2
dt
d dt
r d
Similarly,
h d h dr h2 d2 r
h2 dr 2
d2 r
= 2
= 4 2 2 5
dt2
r d r2 d
r d
r d

Substituting in the rst of the equations of motion gives

2 dr 2 1
1

1 d2 r

r2 d2
r3 d
r
h2
p

Next, we replace the dependent variable r by its reciprocal 1/r to obtain

d 1
1 dr

= 2
d r
r d
2
1 d2 r
2 dr 2
1 1
d
1
=

+
=
2
2
2
3
d r
r d
r d
p r
so that

1
d2 1 1
+
=
d2 r
r
p

is obtained as a linear, constant-coecient, second-order dierential equation for 1/r .

The solution provides an independent derivation of the equation of orbit and is readily
obtained as
1
1
= + c1 cos + c2 sin
r
p
First =

1
2

= c2 = 0

Then = 0 = c1 p = e

1 e
1
= + cos
r
p p

or

r=

Hence
p
1 + e cos

9. Prob. 314 Suppose the force of attraction is proportional to the distance separating
m1 and m2 rather than inversely proportional to the square of the distance. The
equations of motion would be
d2 r1
= Gm1 m2 (r2 r1 )
dv
dt2
+ G(m1 + m2 )r = 0
=
2
dt
d r2
m2 2 = Gm2 m1 (r1 r2 )
dt
where r = r2 r1 and = G(m1 + m2 ).
Then from
d
dv
= (r v) = r r = 0
r
dt
dt
we have
h=rv
m1

so that angular momentum is preserved.

The equations of motion are linear with constant coecients and can be solved directly.
We have

r = cos t c1 + sin t c2
where c1 and c2 are constant vectors. The motion is planar so, for convenience,
we can assume that the orbit is conned to the x, y plane. Hence, the equations of
motion are

x = cos t c11 + sin t c21

y = cos t c12 + sin t c22

Next, solve for cos t and sin t

x c
c

x
21
11

y c22
c12 y

cos t
=

sin t
=

c
c
c
c
11
21
11
21

c22
c12 c22
12
and then eliminate the trigonometric functions by squaring and adding

2
x c 2 c
x
c11 c21

21
+
11

y c

c
y

c12 c22

22
12
The result is an equation for the ellipse
(c22 x c21 y)2 + (c11 y c12 x)2 = (c11 c22 c12 c21 )2
or
(c222 + c212 )x2 2(c22 c21 + c11 c12 )xy + (c221 + c211 )y 2 = (c11 c22 c12 c21 )2
with the mass m1 at the center of the ellipse.