Finding the Centroid of a Spherical Crescent

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SUMMARY

This discussion focuses on finding the centroid of a spherical crescent, defined as the area between two intersecting spherical caps. The user has identified the need for geometric integration techniques, particularly in cylindrical coordinates, to calculate the centroid accurately. Key resources referenced include academic papers that provide foundational knowledge on the topic. The discussion emphasizes the importance of integrating over the spherical caps and suggests that a calculus-based approach is essential for determining the center of mass.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of spherical geometry and spherical caps
  • Proficiency in calculus, particularly integration techniques
  • Familiarity with cylindrical coordinates
  • Knowledge of centroid and center of mass concepts
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the integration techniques for spherical caps in calculus
  • Research the application of cylindrical coordinates in three-dimensional geometry
  • Explore the mathematical derivation of centroids for complex shapes
  • Review the referenced academic papers for advanced methodologies
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Mathematicians, physicists, and engineers involved in geometric modeling, computational geometry, or any field requiring precise calculations of centroids in spherical geometries.

Dehstil
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Hello,

What I really want to do is deal with spherical "crescents" and incomplete annuli and see how well they are approximated by spherical caps, but here is my question:

How would you go about finding the centroid of a spherical crescent (one spherical cap minus the other) in the case when they are partially intersecting?

After some digging, I've managed to find the area but not much else for this case:
Page 10 on: ati.amd.com/developer/siggraph06/Oat-AmbientApetureLighting.pdf[/URL]
Page 2: [url]www.cse.ust.hk/~psander/docs/aperture.pdf[/url]
Page 12: [url]www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/fulltext/121601807/PDFSTART[/url]

I've attempted some geometric approaches but have not gotten very far. Perhaps knowing how to integrate over a spherical cap or the intersection of two spherical caps would be useful in a calculus-based "center of mass" approach.
 
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I'm pretty sure you want cylindrical coordinates with the center of both spheres on the z axis. Integral over theta is easy via symetry. You would have two remaining integrals over z and roh. You need to write equations for the surface of each sphere in terms of z and roh.
 

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