On the orbital stability of pendulum-like vibrations of a rigid body carrying a rotor

One of the most notable effects in mechanics is the stabilization of the unstable upper equilibrium position of a symmetric body fixed from one point on its axis of symmetry, either by giving the body a suitable angular velocity or by adding a suitably spinned rotor along its axis. This effect is widely used in technology and in space dynamics. The aim of the present article is to explore the effect of the presence of a rotor on a simple periodic motion of the rigid body and its motion as a physical pendulum. The equation in the variation for pendulum vibrations takes the form $$\frac{{d^2 \gamma _3 }} {{du^2 }} + \alpha \left[ {\alpha v^2 + \frac{1} {2} + \rho ^2 - \left( {\alpha + 1} \right)v^2 sn^2 u + 2v\rho \sqrt \alpha cnu} \right]\gamma _3 = 0,$$ in which α depends on the moments of inertia, ρ on the gyrostatic momentum of the rotor and ν (the modulus of the elliptic function) depends on the total energy of the motion. This equation, which reduces to Lame’s equation when ρ = 0, has not been studied to any extent in the literature. The determination of the zones of stability and instability of plane motion reduces to finding conditions for the existence of primitive periodic solutions (with periods 4K(ν), 8K(ν)) with those parameters. Complete analysis of primitive periodic solutions of this equation is performed analogously to that of Ince for Lame’s equation. Zones of stability and instability are determined analytically and illustrated in a graphical form by plotting surfaces separating them in the three-dimensional space of parameters. The problem is also solved numerically in certain regions of the parameter space, and results are compared to analytical ones.     

On the orbital stability of pendulum-like motions of a rigid body in the Bobylev-Steklov case

We deal with the problem of orbital stability of pendulum-like periodic motions of a heavy rigid body with a fixed point. We suppose that the geometry of the mass of the body corresponds to the Bobylev-Steklov case. Unperturbed motion represents oscillations or rotations of the body around a principal axis, occupying a fixed horizontal position. The problem of the orbital stability is considered on the basis of a nonlinear analysis.     

The stability of the plane periodic motions of a symmetrical rigid body with a fixed point

A rigorous non-linear analysis of the orbital stability of plane periodic motions (pendulum oscillations and rotations) of a dynamically symmetrical heavy rigid body with one fixed point is carried out. It is assumed that the principal moments of inertia of the rigid body, calculated for the fixed point, are related by the same equation as in the Kovalevskaya case, but here no limitations are imposed on the position of the mass centre of the body. In the case of oscillations of small amplitude and in the case of rotations with high angular velocities, when it is possible to introduce a small parameter, the orbital stability is investigated analytically. For arbitrary values of the parameters, the non-linear problem of orbital stability is reduced to an analysis of the stability of a fixed point of the simplectic mapping, generated by the system of equations of perturbed motion. The simplectic mapping coefficients are calculated numerically, and from their values, using well-known criteria, conclusions are drawn regarding the orbital stability or instability of the periodic motion. It is shown that, when the mass centre lies on the axis of dynamic symmetry (the case of Lagrange integrability), the well-known stability criteria are inapplicable. In this case, the orbital instability of the periodic motions is proved using Chetayev's theorem. The results of the analysis are presented in the form of stability diagrams in the parameter plane of the problem.     

On the fast rotation of a heavy rigid body about a fixed point

Fast rotation of a symmetric heavy rigid body about a fixed point (the kinetic energy is large in comparison with the potential) is considered in cases when the resonance equations of Euler's motion /1, 2/ are approximately satisfied at the initial instant (the body is assumed to effect turns, ε is small, during time . It is shown that during that time ( ) a finite deviation from inertial motion takes place. Such mechanical effect is similar to the precession of a fast top, except that it is more “early” (in the considered time scale the top precession is slow). Approximate equations that define the motion in the principal order and are integrable in quadratures. The formal process of derivation of higher approximations is indicated, and a geometric interpretation of motions is given.     

A kinematic interpretation of the motion of a heavy rigid body with a fixed point

A kinematic interpretation of the motion of a rigid body with a fixed point is proposed using the rolling of a mobile hodograph, which describes, on the ellipsoid of inertia, a vector collinear with the vector of the angular velocity of the body, with respect to a fixed vector. On the basis of this, an interpretation of the motion of the body in the Steklov, Grioli, Dokshevich and Bobylev – Steklov solutions is obtained. A new formula is derived indicating the connection between the angle of precession and the polar angle of the equations of the fixed hodograph, indicated by Kharlamov.     

On the orbital stability of planar periodic motions of a rigid body in the Bobylev-Steklov case

We deal with the problem of orbital stability of pendulum-like periodic motions of a heavy rigid body with a fixed point. We suppose that a mass geometry corresponds to the Bobylev-Steklov case. The stability problem is solved in nonlinear setting. In the case of small amplitude oscillations and rotations with large angular velocities the small parameter can be introduced and the problem can be investigated analytically. In the case of unspecified oscillation amplitude or rotational angular velocity the problem is reduced to analysis of stability of a fixed point of the symplectic map generated by the equations of the perturbed motion. The coefficients of the symplectic map are determined numerically. Rigorous results on the orbital stability or instability of unperturbed motion are obtained by analyzing these coefficients.     

Chaos in a restricted problem of rotation of a rigid body with a fixed point

In this paper, we consider the transition to chaos in the phase portrait of a restricted problem of rotation of a rigid body with a fixed point. Two interrelated mechanisms responsible for chaotization are indicated: (1) the growth of the homoclinic structure and (2) the development of cascades of period doubling bifurcations. On the zero level of the area integral, an adiabatic behavior of the system (as the energy tends to zero) is noted. Meander tori induced by the break of the torsion property of the mapping are found.      

On the dynamics of a rigid body carrying a material point

In this paper we consider a system consisting of an outer rigid body (a shell) and an inner body (a material point) which moves according to a given law along a curve rigidly attached to the body. The motion occurs in a uniform field of gravity over a fixed absolutely smooth horizontal plane. During motion the shell may collide with the plane. The coefficient of restitution for an impact is supposed to be arbitrary. We present a derivation of equations describing both the free motion of the system over the plane and the instances where collisions with the plane occur. Several special solutions to the equations of motion are found, and their stability is investigated in some cases. In the case of a dynamically symmetric body and a point moving along the symmetry axis according to an arbitrary law, a general solution to the equations of free motion of the body is found by quadratures. It generalizes the solution corresponding to the classical regular precession in Euler??s case. It is shown that the translational motion of the shell in the free flight regime exists in a general case if the material point moves relative to the body according to the law of areas.     

The oscillations of a body with an orbital tethered system

The motion about a centre of mass of a rigid body with a tethered system, designed to launch a re-entry capsule from a circular orbit is considered. In the deployment of the tethered system the direction and value of the tensile strength of the tether vary and, if the point of application of the tensile strength does not coincide with the centre of mass of the body, a moment occurs which leads to oscillations of the body with variable amplitude and frequency. A non-linear equation of the perturbed motion of the body about the centre of mass under the action of the tensile force of the tether and the gravitational moment is derived. Assuming that the change in the value and direction of the tensile force is slow and also that the gravitational moment is small, approximate and exact solutions of the non-linear differential equation of the unperturbed motion are obtained in terms of elementary functions and elliptic Jacobi functions. For perturbed motion, the action integral is expressed in terms of complete elliptic integrals of the first and second kind.     

Stability of stationary rotations of multidimensional rigid body

It is well known that rotations of a free three-dimensional rigid body around the long and short axes of inertia are stable, while the rotation around the intermediate axis is unstable. We generalize this result to the case of a rigid body in a space of arbitrary dimension.     

First integrals in the problem ofthe motion of a heavy rigid body about a fixed point under unilateral constraint

The problem of the existence of integrable cases of the Euler and Lagrange types, and also particular integrals of the Hess and Appel'rot type without additional assumptions on the value of the area integral, is considered for the problem of the motion of a heavy rigid body about a fixed point with constraints on the angle between the rising vertical and a vector fixed in the body.     

The equations of motion of a rigid body without parametrization of rotations

New dynamic equations are proposed for a rigid body, without using local parametrization of the rotation group to describe the rotational part of the motion. A simple system of differential-algebraic equations, well suited for constructing the equations of motion of articulated bodies, is obtained.     

On the smoothness of conjugation of circle diffeomorphisms with rigid rotations

We prove that any C^3+β-smooth diffeomorphism preserving the orientation of a circle with rotation number from the Diophantine class D_δ, 0 < β < δ < 1, is C^2+β−δ-smoothly conjugate to a rigid rotation of the circle by a certain angle. __________ Translated from Ukrains’kyi Matematychnyi Zhurnal, Vol. 60, No. 2, pp. 268–282, February, 2008.     

On stability of motion of a symmetric body placed on a vibrating base

We consider the problem of stabilization of a symmetric solid body rotating about a fixed point and show that its unstable states can be stabilized by vertical vibration.Translated from Ukrainskii Matematicheskii Zhurnal, Vol. 47, No. 12, pp. 1661–1666, December, 1995.     

The natural oscillations of an elastic body with a heavy rigid spike-shaped inclusion

It is established that oscillations in the low-frequency range are characteristic for a body with a heavy-rigid spike-shaped inclusion, and corresponding modes mainly occur as flexural deformations of the tip of the spike, localized close to its vertex.     

On a periodic motion of a rigid body carrying a material point in the presence of impacts with a horizontal plane

A material system consisting of an outer rigid body (a shell) and an inner body (a material point) is considered. The system moves in a uniform field of gravity over a fixed absolutely smooth horizontal plane. The central ellipsoid of inertia of the shell is an ellipsoid of rotation. The material point moves according to the harmonic law along a straight-line segment rigidly attached to the shell and lying on its axis of dynamical symmetry. During its motion, the shell may collide with the plane. The coefficient of restitution for an impact is supposed to be arbitrary. The periodic motion of the shell is found when its symmetry axis is situated along a fixed vertical, and the shell rotates around this vertical with an arbitrary constant angular velocity. The conditions for existence of this periodic motion are obtained, and its linear stability is studied.