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PHYS 705: Classical Mechanics

Euler’s Equations
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Euler’s Equations (set up)

We have seen how to describe the kinematic properties of a rigid body. Now,
we would like to get equations of motion for it.

1. We will follow the Lagrangian Formalism that we have developed.

2. For generalized coordinates, we will use the Euler’s angles with one point
of the rigid body being fixed (no translation, just rotation)

3. As we have seen previously, the rotational kinetic energy is given by

1 1
T  ω  I  ω  i I ij j
2 2
4. Choose the body axes to coincide with the Principal axes, then
1
T I iii2 ( no sum; I ij is diagonized! )
2
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Euler’s Equations (set up)

Note:
-We still have the freedom to align xˆ3  zˆ  (from the body axes) to any one of
the 3 Principal axes.
- The three Euler’s angles  , ,  give the orientation of the Principal axes of
the body relative to the fixed axes.

5. A general rotation (an inf. one here) dΩ along a given axis in the body frame
can be decomposed into three rotations along the Euler’s angles. Then, the time
rate of change of this rotation ω  dΩ dt can also be written as,
(we write this as a sum since the
ω  ω  ω  ω
angular changes are infinitesimal)
- These three different pieces correspond to time rate of change of the
individual rotations along each of the three Euler’s angles.
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Euler’s Equations (set up)

-Now, our task is to express each of these in terms of the body coordinate
 x1 , x2 , x3  We will go through the three individual Euler steps now:

a) ω : We are in the fixed axes and we do a rotation along the x3  zˆ 

0
 
 In the fixed axes, we have ω   fixed
 0
  
 
 To express it in the body axes, we apply the Euler rotations BCD

 0    sin sin   
Note: Since 0, 0,  
T
is
   
ω   body  BCD  0     cos sin   already in the ẑ
     cos   0 0
    direction,
   
D 0   0
     
   
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Euler’s Equations (set up)

b) ω : This is the (2nd) rotation along the “line of nodes” ( x1  xˆ  in the
intermediate   , ,   coordinate system)
  
 
 In the intermediate axes, we have  ω  ξ  0
0
 
 To express it in the body axes, we apply the Euler rotations BC

     cos    
T
Note: Since  , 0, 0 is
   
 ω body  BC  0     sin  already in the x̂
0  0  direction,      
       
C 0    0 
0 0
   
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Euler’s Equations (set up)

c) ω : Finally, the last rotation is along the x3  zˆ  of the  ', ',  ' 

0
 
 In the  ', ',  ' axes, we have ω 
 ' 0
 
 
 To express it in the body axes, we apply the Euler rotations B

0 0 Note: Since  0, 0,  is

T

   
ω  body
 B 0    0  already in the ẑ
    0 0
    direction,
   
B 0    0 
   
   
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Euler’s Equations (set up)

 Putting all three pieces together, we have

  sin sin    cos 

 
ω  ω  ω  ω    cos sin    sin 
  cos    
 

These are the components of ω expressed in the “body” frame using the
Euler’s angles.
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Euler’s Equations (set up)

Alternatively, one can geometrically project ω
' defined along the Euler directions e 1 , e 2 , e 3 
onto the “body” axes (red frame)
e1
ω   e 1   e 2   e 3
e3 
' ω   x xˆ   y yˆ   z zˆ
 
e2 Note: the basis set e 1 , e 2 , e 3 
' defining an infinitesimal rotation
along the Euler angles is NOT an
orthogonal set of vectors.

(Note: Here and onward, space frame is primed and body frame is unprimed.)
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Euler’s Equations (derivation)

Now, we will continue with our equation of motion for a rotating rigid body.

I is diagonalized since we’ve chosen the body

1
T  I ii2 axes to lay along the principal axes and we will
2
call the nonzero diagonal elements, I ii  I i

Without further assuming the nature of the applied forces acting on this
system, we will use the following general form of the E-L equation:

d  T  T Qi is the generalized force (including

   Qi
dt  qi  qi forces derivable from conservative and
non-conservative sources)
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Euler’s Equations (derivation)

Let calculate the equation of motion explicitly for  :
1
T T i  T I ii2
   I ii  i (E’s sum) 2
 i     sin sin    cos 
    
  I11  1   I 22  2   I 33  3 ω    cos sin    sin 
     cos    
 
  I11  0    I 22  0    I 33 1
 I 33

d  T 
   I 3 3
dt   
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  sin sin    cos 

 
Euler’s Equations (derivation) ω    cos sin    sin 
  cos    
 
Now, we need
T T i 1 2 3
  I11  I 22  I 33
 i    
Note that:
1  3
  cos sin    sin  2 0
 
2
  sin sin    cos  1

Thus, we have,

T
 I11 2   I 22  1   0  I112  I 221

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Euler’s Equations (derivation)

Now, we need to calculate the generalized force with respect to  :

Since the Euler angle  is associated with a rotation about the ẑ axis in the
“body” frame, we have,

r ẑ 
Q   Fi  i   Fi   zˆ  ri   ri
i  i

 zˆ  N  N 3 ri   ri    


used
A   B  C  B  C  A   ri  ri sin  
ri
 zˆ  ri

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Euler’s Equations (derivation)

Finally, putting everything together, the E-L equation gives,

d  T  T
   Q
dt    

I 3 3  I112  I 212  N 3 I 3 3   I1  I 2  12  N 3

- One can calculate the E-L equation for  ,  but (they are ugly) we are not
doing them here !

- There is a smarter way to get EOM for the other two dofs…

 Since nothing required our choice of 3 to lay along zˆ ( x3 ) . Then, by a

 should have a SIMILAR form.
symmetry argument, the other components of ω
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Euler’s Equations (derivation)

This then gives,

I11   I 2  I 3  23  N1 (same cyclic symmetry as the

I 2 2   I 3  I1  31  N 2 equation for 3 )

I 3 3   I1  I 2  12  N 3

In principle, one can get out the  2 and  3 equation by solving for  2 and  3
simultaneously from the  ,  Euler-Lagrange equations.

These are called the Euler’s Equations and the motion is described in terms of
the Principal Moments !
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Euler’s Equations (derivation)

The following is Goldstein’s (Newtonian) derivation. We start with,

 dL   dL 
N     ωL
 dt  fixed  dt body
Writing this vector equation out in the components of the body axes,

dLi
Ni    ijk  j Lk
dt
Choose the body axes to coincide with the Principal axes, so that

Li  I ii (no sum, just writing out the components)

 d 
Ni  Ii  i    ijk  j I k k (no sum)
 dt 
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Euler’s Equations (derivation)

Writing this index equation out explicitly for i  1, 2,3, we have,

I11  1232 I 33  1323 I 22  I11   I 2  I 3  23  N1

I 2 2   2313 I11   2131 I 33  I 2 2   I 3  I1  31  N 2
I 3 3   3121 I 22   3212 I11  I 3 3   I1  I 2  12  N 3

So, this gives us the same set of Euler’s equations as previously.

The Euler’s Equations describes motion in the body frame. ω and N are
vectors expressed in the body frame.
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Torque Free Motion of a Symmetric Top

A symmetric top means that: I1  I 2  I 3

For concreteness, let I1  I 2  I 3 (example will be a long cigar-like

objects such as a juggling pin)
Euler equations (torque free) are:

I11   I 2  I 3  23
 dL 
I 2 2   I 3  I1  31 or    ω  L
 dt body
I 3 3   I1  I 2  12  0
L  Iω
  ω  L

Trivial case ( ω is along one of the principal axes):

ω is along one of the eigendirection of I and L  ω

L  Iω
  ω  L  0  0
ω
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Torque Free Motion of a Symmetric Top

Interesting case ( ω is NOT along one of the principal axes):

We still have,  3  0 since I1  I 2

3  const Note: x̂3 is along the body’s symmetry axis.

And, the rest of the Euler equations give,

 I 2  I3   I1  I 3 
1     
 2 3   23
 I1   I1  Note: I1  I 2
 I 3  I1   I 3  I1 
 2     
 3 1   31
 I2   I1 
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Torque Free Motion of a Symmetric Top

 I 3  I1 
Let     3  const
 I1 
Then, the remaining two Euler’s equations reduce simply to,

1  2
 2  1
Taking the derivative of the top equation and substitute the bottom on
the right, we have,

1   2    1    21

Since,  2  0 we have the solution: A,  0 will be determined by ICs

1  t   A cos  t   0  and 2  t   A sin  t   0 

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Torque Free Motion of a Symmetric Top

Looking at this deeper… First in the “body” frame,

- We know that 3 is a constant and 1 & 2 oscillates harmonically in a circle.

So, 12  2 2  32  const ω  const

In the “body” axes, this description for ω can be visualized as ω

precessing about x̂3 .

x3 -The projection of ω onto the x3 axis is fixed.

ω -The projection of ω onto the x1  x2 plane rotates
as a parametric circle with a rate of
I I 
x1
x2    3 1  3  const
 I1 
(This is called the “body” cone)
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Torque Free Motion of a Symmetric Top

Now, let look at this same situation in the “fixed” frame,

Observations:
1
1. Energy is conserved in this problem so that Trot  ω  L  const
2
2. The situation is torque free so that L is fixed in space.

#1 and #2 means that ω must also precesses around L in the fixed frame

x3 ' - Assume L lies along the x3 ' axis in the fixed frame.
L ω
- L is a constant vector
- The dot product ω  L must remain constant.

x2 ' (This is called the “space” cone)

x1 '
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Torque Free Motion of a Symmetric Top

Observations (in the fixed axes) cont:

3. The three vectors ω, L, xˆ 3 (body ) always lie on a plane.

Consider the following product:

L   ω  xˆ 3  where x̂ 3 is in the ẑ direction in the body axes

 L  2 xˆ 1  1xˆ 2   2  L  xˆ 1   1  L  xˆ 2 
Since the body axes are chosen to lie along the principal axes, we have

Li  I ii ( no sum)

L   ω  xˆ 3   2  I11   1  I 22   0 (for a symmetric top) I1  I 2

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Torque Free Motion of a Symmetric Top

Observations (in the fixed axes) cont:

This means that all three vectors ω, L, xˆ 3 always lie on a plane.

ω  xˆ 3 ω
x̂3 L   ω  xˆ 3   0 (for a symmetric top with
L
or without torque)

http://demonstrations.wolfram.com/Angu
Summary: larMomentumOfARotatingRigidBody/

- ω precesses around the “body” cone

- ω also precesses around the “space” cone

- All three vectors ω, L, xˆ 3 always lie on a plane

- L is chosen to align with xˆ 3 ' in the space axes
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Torque Free Motion of a Symmetric Top

This can be visualized as the body cone rolling either inside or outside of
the space cone !

Precession Rate

 I 3  I1 
  3
 I1 

Case 1: I1  I 3 Case 2: I1  I 3
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Motion of a Symmetric Top with Constant 

All three vectors ω, L, xˆ 3 remains to lie on a plane,

ω  xˆ 3 ω
x̂3 L   ω  xˆ 3   0
L

In fixed frame, set of body axes and L precesses around ω

http://demonstrations.wolfram.com/AngularMomentumOfARotatingRigid
Body/
 26

Stability of General Torque Free Motion

Consider torque-free motion for a rigid body with I1  I 2  I 3

Again, we have chosen the body axes to align with the principal axes.

As an example, we will consider rotation near the x1 axis (similar analysis

can be done near the other two principal axes).

 this means that we have,

ω  1xˆ 1    t  xˆ 2    t  xˆ 3

where   t  ,   t  are small time-dependent perturbation to the motion

For stability analysis, we wish to analyze the time evolution of these

two quantities to see if they remain small or will they blow up.
 27

Stability of General Torque Free Motion

Plugging our perturbation into the Euler’s equations, we have

I11   I 2  I 3  23  0  I11   I 2  I 3    0

I 2 2   I 3  I1  31  0  I 2    I 3  I1  1  0
I 3 3   I1  I 2  12  0  I 3    I1  I 2  1  0

Assume small perturbations and drops higher order terms (  ), the first
equation gives,

1  0 1  const
 28

Stability of General Torque Free Motion

And, the other two equations reduces to,

  I 3  I1 
  1    0
 I2 
I I 
   1 2 1    0
 I3 
Taking the derivative of the top equation and substitute the bottom into it,

 I 3  I1  I I  I  I 
   1     3 1 1   1 2 1  
 I2   I2   I3 

   I 3  I1  I1  I 2  2 
  1  
 I 2 I3 
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Stability of General Torque Free Motion

Since we have chosen to have I1  I 2  I 3 , the constant

 2

 I1  I 3  I1  I 2  2
 0
I 2 I3
1 (Note: we have switch the order

And, we can write of I1 , I 3 so that  2 is explicitly

positive.)
   2 
The solution to this ODE is oscillatory, i.e.,

  t   Aeit  Be  it
and   t   A ' e i  t  B ' e  i t where A, B, A’, & B’ depends on ICs

Thus, both of the small perturbations are oscillatory and the

rotation about the x1 axis is stable !
 30

Stability of General Torque Free Motion

With a similar calculation for rotation near the x3 , one can show again
that small perturbations are oscillatory and motion about the x3 axis is
stable.

However, a similar analysis will show that the oscillatory motion for the
perturbations will become exponential if we consider rotation near the x2
axis.

Summary:
Without any applied torque, motion around the principle axes
with the largest and the smallest principal moments are stable
while motion around the intermediate axis is unstable.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XALe27bnUm8