Figure 0.0.
4:
Figure 0.0.1:
1. A small asteroid of mass m moves towards a spher-
ical planet of mass M and radius R, with a velocity
~u (Fig.0.0.1). The direction of ~u is such that it has
a perpendicular distance 2R from the centre of the
planet. Assume that initially the asteroid is at a
large distance from the planet. Find the value of u
for which the asteroid just misses the planet. As-
sume that m  M .
Solution
Figure 0.0.2:
2. Three non-collinear particles P1 , P2 and P3 , having
Figure 0.0.3:
As m  M , we can assume that the planet
doesn’t move (Fig.0.0.2). As the asteroid moves
forward it gets pulled in by the gravitational force
of the planet and its path bends towards the planet
(Fig.0.0.3). As we want the steroid to just miss
the planet, the limiting path for the asteroid is the
one for which the asteroid just grazes the planet
(Fig.0.0.4). Let the velocity at the graze point
be ~v which will be perpendicular to the radius at
that point. As the gravitational force on the aster-
oid from the planet is always directed towards the
planet, the torque of this force about the centre of
the planet is zero and so the angular momentum of
the asteroid about the centre of the planet is con-
served (Fig.0.0.3). The initial line of momentum
has a distance 2R from the planet and finally the
radius and the velocity are perpendicular. Hence
2Rmu = Rmv
⇒ v = 2u (0.0.1)
For the asteroid+planet system, there are no ex-
ternal forces neither there are any internal non con-
servative forces. Hence e can conserve mechanical
energy of the system. As initially the asteroid is
at a large distance from the planet, we can take
the initial potential energy of the asteroid+planet
system to be zero.
1 1 GM m
mu2 + 0 = mv 2 − (0.0.2)
2 2 R
Solving we get r
2GM
u=
3R
Hence for the asteroid to miss the planet, we should
have r
2GM
u>
3R
masses m1 , m2 and m3 , interact with one another
through their mutual gravitational forces only; they
are isolated in free space and do not interact with
any other bodies. Let σ denote the axis going
through the centre of mass of the three masses, and
perpendicular to the triangle P1 P2 P3 . What condi-
tions should the angular velocities ω of the system
(around the axis σ) and the distances: P1 P2 = a12 ,
P2 P3 = a23 , P3 P1 = a31 , fulfil to allow the shape
and size of the triangle P1 P2 P3 unchanged during
the motion of the system, i.e. under what condi-
tions does the system rotate around the axis σ as a
rigid body?
Solution
As the system is isolated, its total mechanical en-
ergy is conserved. If the system rotates around
the axis σ as a rigid body, the mutual distances
amongst the particles don’t change and so neither
does the gravitational potential energy of the sys- a31 = a32 = a (say) (0.0.9)
tem. This implies that the kinetic energy is
ω 2 a3 = GM (0.0.10)
constant. As the mutual distances between the
particles don’t change, the moment of inertia must
Summarizing we get
also be constant. As the kinetic energy and the mo-
ment of inertia are constant, thus the angular speed a12 = a23 = a31 = a (say) (0.0.11)
of the system ω must be constant.
and
Let the position vectors of the particles be ~r1 , ~r2
ω 2 a3 = GM (0.0.12)
and ~r3 relative to their centre of mass taken as the
origin. Then we have
where M = m1 + m2 + m3

m1~r1 + m2~r2 + m3~r3 = ~0 (0.0.3) Thus, the system can rotate as a rigid body if the
distances between the particles is same, i.e. a12 =
a23 = a31 = a (say), i.e they form an equilateral
The net gravitational force on the particle P1 must
triangle and if ω 2 a3 = GM .
be equal to the required centripetal force for the
motion. Method II

Gm1 m2 Gm1 m3 Everything till Eqn.. remains the same. taking the
− (~r1 − ~r2 )− (~r1 − ~r3 ) = −m1 ω 2~r1
a212 a213 dot product of the RHS of this equation with itself,
  we get
Gm1 Gm1 2 Gm2 Gm3
⇒ 2 m2~r2 + 2 m3~r3 +m1~r1 ω − 3 − 3 = ~0
a12 a13 a12 a13 (m1~r1 + m2~r2 + m3~r3 ) · (m1~r1 + m2~r2 + m3~r3 ) = 0

Writing m2~r2 = −m1~r1 − m3~r3 and using in the X X

⇒ mi ri2 + 2 mi mj ~ri · ~rj = 0
above we get i i<j
    Now, we have
Gm1 Gm2 Gm3 1 1
m1 ω 2 − 3 − 3 − 3 ~r1 +Gm1 m3 − ~r3 = ~0
a12 a12 a13 a313 a312
2
a2ij = |~ri − ~rj | = ri2 + rj2 − 2~ri · ~rj

The vectors ~r1 and ~r3 are non-col1inear and so the

⇒ 2~ri · ~rj = ri2 + rj2 − a2ij
coefficients of ~r1 and ~r2 in the above equation must
be zero
1 1 Substitutuing this we get
3 − 3 =0
a13 a12 ! !
X X X
⇒ a12 = a13 = a (say) (0.0.4) mi mi ri2 − mi mj a2ij = 0
i i i<j
and
Gm1 Gm2 Gm3 mi mj a2ij
P
ω2 − − 3 − 3 =0 i<j
X
3
a12 a12 a13 ⇒I= mi ri2 =
i
M
2 3
⇒ ω a = GM (0.0.5) P
where M = i mi .
where
In the non-inertial frame, rotating around the axis
M = m1 + m2 + m3 (0.0.6)
σ with the angular velocity ω, the total potential
energy U is the sum of the gravitational potential
Similarly for P2 and P3 we get respectively: P Gm m
energies Ug = i<j − aiji j and the potential en-
force Ucf = i − 21 mi ri2 ω 2 =
P
a21 = a23 = a (say) (0.0.7) ergy of the centrigual
P
mi mj a2ij
− 12 Iω 2 = − i<j2M .
ω 2 a3 = GM (0.0.8)
mi mj a2ij
P
X Gmi mj i<j
U =− −
and i<j
aij 2M
 ω2 2
 
X G
⇒U =− mi mj a +
i<j
2M ij aij

√ √
q1 ~
r + q ~ r
3. √ 2 √ 2 2
q1 + q2