ERGODICITY OF THE EULER-POINSOT PROBLEM Conference Paper

abstract

• This paper illustrates the possibility of ergodic motion in the Euler-Poinsot problem. In the traditional polhode/herpolhode interpretation, ergodicity corresponds to a specific location on the polhode never repeating points of contact on the herpolhode. For axisymmetric bodies, this condition corresponds to the commensurability of the radii of the circular polhode and herpolhode. For general asymmetric bodies, the polhode/herpolhode interpretation provides less insight into the nature of the motion. However, recently developed analytic solutions and motion constants provide more direct insight, with ergodicity being related to the commensurability of the periods of the angular-momentum vector and Poinsot's chronometric vector.

authors

• Hurtado, John

published proceedings

• ASTRODYNAMICS 2015

author list (cited authors)

• Sinclair, A. J., & Hurtado, J. E.

complete list of authors

• Sinclair, Andrew J||Hurtado, John E

publication date

• January 2016

published in

• Spaceflight Mechanics 2005, Vol 120, Pts 1 and 2  Journal

International Standard Book Number (ISBN) 13

• 978-0-87703-629-6

start page

• 1685

end page

• 1694

volume

• 156