26 Result(s)
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Open AccessBounds on energy and angular momentum loss in the full n-body problem
A new bound on the amended potential in an n-body system is derived and applied to the partitioning of energy and angular momentum in a disrupting gravitational aggregate. This result provides analytic insight in...
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Disassociation energies for the finite-density N-body problem
This paper considers the energy required for collections of finite-density bodies to undergo escape under internal gravitational interactions alone. As the level of the system energy is increased, there are di...
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Small Solar System Bodies as granular media
Asteroids and other Small Solar System Bodies (SSSBs) are of high general and scientific interest in many aspects. The origin, formation, and evolution of our Solar System (and other planetary systems) can be ...
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Correction to: Stability of the Euler resting N-body relative equilibria
Due to an error in a supporting algorithm used in writing the paper there was an incorrect conclusion given which is corrected here.
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Stability of the Euler resting N-body relative equilibria
The stability of a system of N equal-sized mutually gravitating spheres resting on each other in a straight line and rotating in inertial space is considered. This is a generalization of the “Euler Resting” confi...
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The OSIRIS-REx Radio Science Experiment at Bennu
The OSIRIS-REx mission will conduct a Radio Science investigation of the asteroid Bennu with a primary goal of estimating the mass and gravity field of the asteroid. The spacecraft will conduct proximity opera...
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OSIRIS-REx: Sample Return from Asteroid (101955) Bennu
In May of 2011, NASA selected the Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security–Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) asteroid sample return mission as the third mission in the New Frontiers pr...
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Constraints on bounded motion and mutual escape for the full 3-body problem
When gravitational aggregates are spun to fission they can undergo complex dynamical evolution, including escape and reconfiguration. Previous work has shown that a simple analysis of the full 2-body problem p...
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The lift-off velocity on the surface of an arbitrary body
An expression is developed for the velocity at which a particle, moving tangentially on the surface of a body with an arbitrary shape, rotation, and gravitational field, will lift off from that surface and ent...
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Small body surface gravity fields via spherical harmonic expansions
Conventional gravity field expressions are derived from Laplace’s equation, the result being the spherical harmonic gravity field. This gravity field is said to be the exterior spherical harmonic gravity field...
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Minimum energy configurations in the N-body problem and the celestial mechanics of granular systems
Minimum energy configurations in Celestial Mechanics are investigated. It is shown that this is not a well defined problem for point-mass celestial mechanics but well-posed for finite density distributions. Th...
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Averaged rotational dynamics of an asteroid in tumbling rotation under the YORP torque
The secular effect of YORP torque on the rotational dynamics of an asteroid in non-principal axis rotation is studied. The general rotational equations of motion are derived and approximated with an illuminati...
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Circular and zero-inclination solutions for optical observations of Earth-orbiting objects
Situational awareness of Earth-orbiting particles is important for human extraterrestrial activities. Given an optical observation, an admissible region can be defined over the topocentric range/range-rate spa...
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Stability of the planar full 2-body problem
The stability of the Full Two-Body Problem is studied in the case where both bodies are non-spherical, but are restricted to planar motion. The mutual potential is expanded up to second order in the mass momen...
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On the rotation of comet Borrelly’s nucleus
We consider the secular effect of outgassing torques on the rotation of a comet nucleus. An averaging method is applied to obtain evolutionary equations which allow us to study the long-term variations in the ...
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Relative Equilibria for General Gravity Fields in the Sphere-Restricted Full 2-Body Problem
Equilibrium conditions for a mutually attracting general mass distribution and point mass are derived and their stability computed. The equilibrium conditions can be reduced to six equations in six unknowns, p...
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On The Concept Of Periapsis In Hill’s Problem
The concept of closest approach is analyzed in Hill’s problem, resulting in a partitioning of the position space. The different behavior between the direct and retrograde motion is explained analytically, resu...
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Bounds on Rotation Periods of Disrupted Binaries in the Full 2-Body Problem
Constraints on the final rotation rates of a Hill unstable binary in the full 2-body problem are derived and analyzed. Application of these constraints are made to the problem of a constant density body spun t...
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Stability of Surface Motion on a Rotating Ellipsoid
The dynamical environment on the surface of a rotating, massive ellipsoid is studied, with applications to surface motion on an asteroid. The analysis is performed using a combination of classical dynamics and...
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The Influence of Reactive Torques on Comet Nucleus Rotation
Reactive torques, due to anisotropic sublimation on a comet nucleus surface, produce slow variations of its rotation. In this paper the secular effects of this sublimation are studied. The general rotational e...
