Classical Mechanics - PHYS 310 - Fall 2013 Lec 33: Supplementary Notes

Department of Physics, Southern Illinois University Instructor: Thushari Jayasekera ([email protected])

C ENTRAL F ORCE M OTION

In the last class, we discussed about the equation of motion of an object in a central force field. We
discussed that the total energy and the angular momentum are conserved quantities.

E = T +V (1)
1 2 1
= µṙ + + µr2 θ̇2 + V (r) (2)
2 2
1 2 l2
= µṙ + + V (r) (3)
2 2µṙ2
V (r) can be calculated using the type of the force field. For example, for the inverse square force law:

Z
V (r) = − F (r)dr (4)
Z
k
= − − dr (5)
r2
k
= − +C (6)
r
Taking the potential at the infinite separation equals zero:

k
V (r) = − (7)
r
Anyways, we can write that the total energy as:

1 2 l2
E= µṙ + + V (r) (8)
2 2µr2
We can write this as:

1 2
E= µṙ + Vef f (9)
2
Where the effective potential is divined as:

l2
Vef f = + V (r) (10)
2µr2
The first part of the effective potential is called the centrifugal potential.
Also, by looking at the eq.(8), we can write the ṙ as:

r
2
ṙ = ± (E − Vef f ) (11)
µ
According to the above equation, when the goal energy equals the effective potential, ṙ equals zero,
which is called a turning point. (In another words, at the turning points, particle sees a potential barrier)
That means, the relative difference between the total energy and the effective potential energy is an
important quantity in describing the orbit in a central force field.
Let’s plot the effective potential.
 Figure 1: Effective potential

In the sketch (Figure1) of effective potential, we can identify three intersted regions

• If Total energy is larger than zero (as shown by E1 , E1 ≤ 0)

Figure 2: Case 1 E1 ≤ 0

We find only one turning point r = r1 ,

The particle move towards the force center, from infinitely far away until it strikes the potential barrier
at r = r1 , and reflected back toward infinitely larger r.
At any point r, we can find 21 µṙ2 as sown in the figure. We can see how the 12 µṙ2 changes as you
change the position (one example is marked in light green). Velocity keeps changing as the position
changes.
For this particular case, when the total energy is larger than zero, we see there is only one possible
turning point.
 • If the total energy is as shown in E2 in the figure:
You can see that E − Vef t becomes zero at two possible position values r1 and r4 . The motion of the
particle is bound between r2 and r4 .

Figure 3: Case II

• If the total energy E3 equals the minimum value of the effective potential as shown in the figure
The motion of the particle is limited to a particular r value given by r3 in the figure. That means a
circular motion.

Figure 4: Case III

Now we understand, the type of the orbit largely depends on the effective potential and the total energy
of the system. With this knowledge, let’s move on to the planetary motion.
P LANETARY M OTION
We would like to know, how the particle moves in an inverse square law potential. Because, planetary
motion is caused by the gravitational attraction, which is an inverse-square law force field.
We are interested in looking at how θ changes as a function of r.

dθ dθ dt
= (12)
dr dt dr
θ̇
= (13)
ṙ

θ̇
dθ = dr (14)
ṙ
We know that
l
θ̇ = (15)
µr2
and
r
2

ṙ = E − V( r) (16)
µ
where,
l2
Vef f = V (r) + (17)
2µr2
k l2
= − + (18)
r 2µr2
By substituting them in the eq.(50),

Z l2
µr 2
θ= r   dr + C (19)
2 l2 k
µ E− 2µr 2 + r

Z l2
r2
θ= r   dr + C (20)
l2 k
2µ E − 2µr 2 + r

Let’s substitute, u = 1r :

1
u = (21)
r
1
du = − dr (22)
r2
dr = −r2 du (23)
Substituting in eq. (20),we get

−ldu
Z
θ= r   +C (24)
2 u2
2µ E − l 2µ + ku

Z
du
θ=− q +C (25)
2µE 2µk
l2 + l2 u − u2

In order to solve this equation,we use a standard form of integral:

Z  
dx 1 2ax + b
√ = − √ Sin−1 √ + Constant (26)
ax2 + bx + c −a b2 − 4ac
By comparing eq.(25) and (26): we have
a → −1 (27)
2µk
b→ 2 (28)
l
2µE
c→ 2 (29)
l
 By solving the integral in eq. (25), using the standard integration:

 
2µk
−2u +
θ = Sin−1  q l2  + Constant (30)
4µ2 k2
l4 + 4 2µE
l2
 
2µk
−2u +
= Sin−1  q l 2
 + Constant (31)
4µ2 k2 8µE
l4 + l2
 
2µk
−2u + l2
θ + C = Sin−1  q  (32)
4µ2 k2 8µE
l4 + l2
 
−2u + 2µk l2
Sin (θ + C) =  q  (33)
2
4µ k 2 8µE
l4 + l2

Now if we define the condition that at rmin , θ = 0,

At rmin , u becomes maximum, That means −2u becomes minimum. So, at θ = 0, the right hand side
of the above equation is a minimum. Sinx is minimum, when x →= π/2, That gives, C = −π/2 in the
above equation: We can then write:
 
2µk
−2u + l2
Sin (θ − π/2) =  q  (34)
4µ2 k2 8µE
l4 + l2

 
−2u + 2µkl 2
−Cosθ = q  (35)
4µ2 k2 8µE
l4 + l2

which gives:
 
2µk
2u − l2
Cosθ = q  (36)
4µ2 k2 8µE
l4 + l2

 
2µk ul2
l2 µk −1
Cosθ = q  (37)
2µk 2l2 E
l2 1+ µk2

ul2
µk −1
Cosθ = q (38)
2l2 E
1+ µk2

Let’s define

l2
α= (39)
µk
s
2l2 E
= 1+ (40)
µk 2

Equation (38) becomes:

 αu − 1
Cosθ = (41)

αu = 1 + uCosθ (42)
α
= 1 + Cosθ (43)
r
Depending on the value of , the orbital shape in the inverse square law force field can be a circle, ellipse,
parabola, or hyperbola.
We will talk about this in the next class.