Publication Date:
2019-07-13
Description:
A method of general perturbations, based on the use of Lie series to generate approximate canonical transformations, is applied to study the long-term effects of gravity-gradient torque and orbital evolution on the rotational motion of a triaxial, rigid satellite. The center of mass of the satellite is constrained to move in an elliptic orbit about an attracting point mass. The orbit, which has a constant inclination, is constrained to precess and spin with constant rates. The method of general perturbations is used to obtain the Hamiltonian for the nonresonant secular and long-period rotational motion of the satellite to second order in n/omega sub 0, where n is the orbital mean motion of the center of mass and omega sub 0 is a reference value of the magnitude of the satellite's rotational angular velocity. The differential equations derivable from the transformed Hamiltonian are integrable, and the solution for the long-term motion may be expressed in terms of Jacobian elliptic functions and elliptic integrals. Geometrical aspects of the long-term rotational motion are discussed, and a comparison of theoretical results with observations is made.
Keywords:
SPACE SCIENCES
Type:
Advanced Study Institute; Aug 09, 1972 - Aug 21, 1972; Cortina d''Ampezzo; Italy
Format:
text
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