296 11 Motions in Gravitational Fields

Fig. 11.11 These ellipses have the same value of .a but different values of .b. A particle having a
certain value of mechanical energy can orbit indifferently on one of these ellipses. There is thus
a .degeneracy with respect to the energy parameter (i.e., different admissible solutions). Removal
of the degeneracy is done by considering another physical quantity, in this case the magnitude of
angular momentum . L that uniquely fixes (known . E) the length of the semi-minor axis

11.8 Kepler’s Third Law, Revised

Knowing now the orbital parameters of the ellipse from Kepler’s first law, we can
easily explain its III law without making the approximation of circular orbits. From
the relation (11.22), which expresses the infinitesimal area as a function of angular
momentum, I can derive:
! T
L L L
.d A = dt −→ A= dt = T (11.65)
2µ 0 2µ 2µ

having integrated over a period (i.e., over one revolution of the planet around the
orbit, sweeping the complete area of the ellipse). From the geometry (Fig. 11.10) we
have . A = πab. Therefore, if I square the period obtained in (11.65):

4µ2 2 4µ2
. T2 = 2
A = 2 π 2 a 2 b2 (11.66)
L L
and replacing the value of parameter .b obtained in (11.64), I get:

4µ2 2 2 L 2 4µπ 2 a 2 α 4µπ 2 a 3

. T2 = π a = = . (11.67)
L2 2µ|E| α 2|E| α

In the last step, I recognized the relation (11.61). Now entering explicitly the value
of .α and remembering the definition of reduced mass .µ, (11.67) becomes:

4π 2 a 3 a3 G(m + M)
. T2 = −→ 2
= (11.68)
G(m + M) T 4π 2