Deriving equations of motion for restricted 3-body problem

In summary, the conversation discusses a 3-body situation where two large masses rotate around their barycenter and a smaller mass experiences gravitational forces from the two larger masses. The conversation also mentions an equation of motion for the smaller mass in a non-inertial frame of reference, and the desire to derive it. Ultimately, the conversation suggests using a rotating frame of reference to derive the equation.
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tomwilliam2
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My textbook is describing a 3-body situation where there are two large masses rotating around their barycentre, and a third much smaller mass experiencing gravitational forces from the two larger masses. If the frame of reference is the one in which the barycentre is at rest, then it is not inertial. For the smaller mass, there is an angular speed ##\Omega## to take into account.
The gravitational force due to the two masses is clear, but when my textbook sets out the equation of motion for this mass, it just gives the result in this frame of reference as:
$$\mathbf{\ddot{r}} + 2(\mathbf{\Omega \times \cdot{r}})+(\mathbf{\Omega \cdot r})\mathbf{\Omega - \Omega^2 r}=-G\left(\frac{M_1}{r_1^3}\mathbf{r_1} + \frac{M_2}{r_2^3}\mathbf{r_2}\right) + \frac{1}{m}\mathbf{F_d}$$
Without any explanation. I'd like to try and derive it for myself. Any idea how to go about doing that?
Obviously I could start with:
$$\mathbf{\ddot{r}} + \mathbf{\alpha(\Omega)}=-G\left(\frac{M_1}{r_1^3}\mathbf{r_1} + \frac{M_2}{r_2^3}\mathbf{r_2}\right) + \frac{1}{m}\mathbf{F_d}$$
Where ##\alpha## represents the contribution to the acceleration caused by the rotating frame of reference, and ##F_d## is the disturbance forces.
 
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tomwilliam2 said:
If the frame of reference is the one in which the barycentre is at rest, then it is not inertial
This is not correct. There is a perfectly valid inertial frame where the barycenter is at rest. The point is that you want to go to the rotating frame in which the larger bodies are also at rest.

You can derive the result directly by considering a set of basis vectors that are rotating with the system. Note that the vector ##\ddot{\bf r}## as probably defined in your text only contains the time derivatives of the components, not the entire vector including the basis. Newton's second law holds for the entire vector - including the basis vector.
 
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1. What is the restricted 3-body problem?

The restricted 3-body problem is a mathematical model used to describe the motion of three bodies (such as planets or stars) that are influenced by their mutual gravitational attraction. In this problem, one of the bodies is considered much smaller than the other two, and its mass is assumed to be negligible. This allows for simplified equations of motion to be derived.

2. How do you derive equations of motion for the restricted 3-body problem?

To derive equations of motion for the restricted 3-body problem, one can use the Lagrangian approach. This involves defining a set of coordinates and using the principle of least action to determine the equations of motion for each body. The resulting equations are known as the Lagrange equations and are used to describe the motion of the three bodies in the system.

3. What are the key assumptions made in the restricted 3-body problem?

The restricted 3-body problem makes several key assumptions, including the assumption that the smaller body has a negligible mass, that the two larger bodies follow a circular or elliptical orbit around their center of mass, and that the gravitational forces between the bodies are the only forces acting on them.

4. Can the restricted 3-body problem be solved analytically?

In most cases, the restricted 3-body problem cannot be solved analytically. This means that there is no exact solution for the equations of motion, and numerical methods must be used to approximate the motion of the bodies. However, there are a few special cases where analytical solutions can be found, such as the circular restricted 3-body problem.

5. How is the restricted 3-body problem used in real-world applications?

The restricted 3-body problem has many practical applications, particularly in the field of celestial mechanics. It is used to study the motion of objects in the solar system, such as satellites and spacecraft, and to predict their trajectories. It is also used in astrophysics to model the motion of stars and galaxies in binary systems.

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