- #1
Conor Smith
- 2
- 0
Hey there,
If body 1, mass M1 has escape velocity V_e1 = (2GM1/r)**.5 but M2 is more massive than M1 is this relation still valid? In this case, the subordinate body really isn't the subordinate body so does this still hold? And r (distance b/t the two) changes not only due to the motion of M2 but the motion of M1 being dragged by M2 and I'm not sure this equation accounts for that change.
I guess my question is whether or not escape velocity accounts for the acceleration of the body being escaped from?
If it makes any difference, this question arose as I'm programming a simulation which when using Cowell's method (which accounts for the acceleration of both masses) yields an escape velocity much higher than when using Kepler's (which yields the accepted escape velocity, but the Kepler method also assumes one body to be of negligible mass, namely that the body at the center doesn't move).
If body 1, mass M1 has escape velocity V_e1 = (2GM1/r)**.5 but M2 is more massive than M1 is this relation still valid? In this case, the subordinate body really isn't the subordinate body so does this still hold? And r (distance b/t the two) changes not only due to the motion of M2 but the motion of M1 being dragged by M2 and I'm not sure this equation accounts for that change.
I guess my question is whether or not escape velocity accounts for the acceleration of the body being escaped from?
If it makes any difference, this question arose as I'm programming a simulation which when using Cowell's method (which accounts for the acceleration of both masses) yields an escape velocity much higher than when using Kepler's (which yields the accepted escape velocity, but the Kepler method also assumes one body to be of negligible mass, namely that the body at the center doesn't move).