Approximate equations of rotational motion of a rigid body carrying a movable point mass

The dynamics of a compound system, consisting of a rigid body and a point mass, which moves in a specified way along a curve, rigidly attached to the body is investigated. The system performs free motion in a uniform gravity field. Differential equations are derived which describe the rotation of the body about its centre of mass. In two special cases, which allow of the introduction of a small parameter, an approximate system of equations of motion is obtained using asymptotic methods. The accuracy with which the solutions of the approximate system approach the solutions of the exact equations of motion is indicated. In one case, it is assumed that the point mass has a mass that is small compared with the mass of the body, and performs rapid motion with respect to the rigid body. It is shown that in this case the approximate system is integrable. A number of special motions of the body, described by the approximate system, are indicated, and their stability is investigated. In the second case, no limitations are imposed on the mass of the point mass, but it is assumed that the relative motion of the point is rapid and occurs near a specified point of the body. It is shown that, in the approximate system, the motion of the rigid body about its centre of mass is Euler–Poinsot motion.     

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 equations of the approximate theory of the motion of a rigid body with a vibrating suspension point

The motion of a rigid body in a uniform gravity field is investigated. One of the points of the body (the suspension point) performs specified small-amplitude high-frequency periodic or conditionally periodic oscillations (vibrations). The geometry of the body mass is arbitrary. An approximate system of differential equations is obtained, which does not contain the time explicitly and describes the rotational motion of the rigid body with respect to a system of coordinates moving translationally together with the suspension point. The error with which the solutions of the approximate system approximate to the solution of the exact system of equations of motion is indicated. The problem of the stability with respect to the equilibrium of the rigid body, when the suspension point performs vibrations along the vertical, is considered as an application.     

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.     

Evolution of a regular precession of a solid body carrying a visco-elastic disk

The motion of inertia is studied of a system consisting of an axisymmetric solid body with fixed point and a homogeneous visco-elastic disk lying in the equatorial plane of the ellipsoid of inertia of the solid body (the center of disk coincides with the fixed point). In the case of a solid disk immobilized relative to the solid body the system accomplishes a regular precession (the case of Euler motion of a symmetric solid body with a fixed point /1/). The deformation of the disk is taking place in the plane of the disk, and is accompanied by energy dissipation is the cause of the regular precession finishing by steady rotation about the vector of the moment of momentum of the system /2/.     

A Study of the Motions of an Autonomous Hamiltonian System at a 1:1 Resonance

We examine the motions of an autonomous Hamiltonian system with two degrees of freedom in a neighborhood of an equilibrium point at a 1:1 resonance. It is assumed that the matrix of linearized equations of perturbed motion is reduced to diagonal form and the equilibrium is linearly stable. As an illustration, we consider the problem of the motion of a dynamically symmetric rigid body (satellite) relative to its center of mass in a central Newtonian gravitational field on a circular orbit in a neighborhood of cylindrical precession. The abovementioned resonance case takes place for parameter values corresponding to the spherical symmetry of the body, for which the angular velocity of proper rotation has the same value and direction as the angular velocity of orbital motion of the radius vector of the center of mass. For parameter values close to the resonance point, the problem of the existence, bifurcations and orbital stability of periodic rigid body motions arising from a corresponding relative equilibrium of the reduced system is solved and issues concerning the existence of conditionally periodic motions are discussed.     

Single-axis equilibrium orientations to the attracting center of a symmetrical prolate orbital gyrostat with an elastic rod

Under study in the restricted formulation is the motion of a symmetrical prolate stationary gyrostat along a Keplerian circular orbit in a central Newtonian field of forces. An elastic homogeneous rod, rectilinear in the undeformed state, is rigidly clamped by one end in the body of gyrostat along its axis of symmetry. There is a point mass at the free end of the rod. The inextensible elastic rod, for simplicity of constant circular cross-section, performs infinitesimal space oscillations in the process of system motion. In this case, we neglect the terms in the system’s tensor of inertia which are nonlinear with respect to displacements of the points of the rod.We consider the following (so-called semi-inverse) problem: Under what kinetic momentumof the flywheel, among the relative equilibriums of the system (the states of rest relative to the orbital coordinate system) does there exist an equilibrium such that the axis, arbitrarily chosen in the coordinate system associated with the gyrostat, is collinear with the local vertical? In the discretization of the problem, we present the values of the Lagrange coordinates that define the deformation of the rod for these equilibria and the value of gyrostatic moment providing the presence of the equilibrium in question.     

The Chaplygin Sleigh with Parametric Excitation: Chaotic Dynamics and Nonholonomic Acceleration

This paper is concerned with the Chaplygin sleigh with time-varying mass distribution (parametric excitation). The focus is on the case where excitation is induced by a material point that executes periodic oscillations in a direction transverse to the plane of the knife edge of the sleigh. In this case, the problem reduces to investigating a reduced system of two first-order equations with periodic coefficients, which is similar to various nonlinear parametric oscillators. Depending on the parameters in the reduced system, one can observe different types of motion, including those accompanied by strange attractors leading to a chaotic (diffusion) trajectory of the sleigh on the plane. The problem of unbounded acceleration (an analog of Fermi acceleration) of the sleigh is examined in detail. It is shown that such an acceleration arises due to the position of the moving point relative to the line of action of the nonholonomic constraint and the center of mass of the platform. Various special cases of existence of tensor invariants are found.     

The relative equilibria of a tethered gyrostat in a central Newtonian field

The motion of an orbital tether system comprising a massive body and a gyrostat of small mass attached to it by a non-extensible weightless tether is examined. The body performs unperturbed motion in a Kepler orbit. There are several different equilibria of the system relative to a uniformly rotating system of coordinates. These equilibria are interpreted geometrically using Mohr circles. Despite being the simplest example of an orbital tether system with a gyrostat, it exhibits a wealth of dynamic properties. There are also more complex orbital tether systems which contain more than one gyrostat [1].     

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.     

The necessary conditions for the existence of an additional integral in the problem of the motion of a heavy ellipsoid on a smooth horizontal plane

The equations of motion of an ellipsoid on a smooth horizontal plane are similar to the equations of motion of a heavy rigid body with a fixed point. In general, one integral is also lacking in order to integrate them. For a triaxial ellipsoid, the centre of mass of which coincides with the geometrical centre, it is proved that an additional integral is lacking (in the generic case).     

The dynamics of nonholonomic systems consisting of a spherical shell with a moving rigid body inside

In this paper we investigate two systems consisting of a spherical shell rolling without slipping on a plane and a moving rigid body fixed inside the shell by means of two different mechanisms. In the former case the rigid body is attached to the center of the ball on a spherical hinge. We show an isomorphism between the equations of motion for the inner body with those for the ball moving on a smooth plane. In the latter case the rigid body is fixed by means of a nonholonomic hinge. Equations of motion for this system have been obtained and new integrable cases found. A special feature of the set of tensor invariants of this system is that it leads to the Euler — Jacobi — Lie theorem, which is a new integration mechanism in nonholonomic mechanics. We also consider the problem of free motion of a bundle of two bodies connected by means of a nonholonomic hinge. For this system, integrable cases and various tensor invariants are found.     

On the stability of the vertical rotation of a solid suspended on a rod

The problem of the motion of a dynamically symmetric solid suspended from a fixed point by a weightless rod and two ball and socket joints one of which is fixed at the fixed point O', and the other is on the body axis of symmetry at the point O is considered. The question of the stability of the uniform body rotation when points O' and O, and the body centre of inertia C lie on the same vertical, and at the same time point O may be either above or below point O', and point C either above or below point O, is discussed. An analysis of the necessary and sufficient conditions for stability is given. The set of all the system's parameters is reduced to three independent dimensionless parameters L, Ω and β, and in the plane (L, Ω), for fixed values of β, the regions for which the unperturbed rotation is steady, or steady to a first approximation, or non-steady are indicated. The regions for which the body rotation is steady to a first approximation when the point O is situated higher than the point O', and the point C lies higher or lower than the point O are determined.

The sufficient conditions for the vertical rotation of a dynamically symmetric body suspended on a filament were obtained in /1/ and investigated for the cases where in non-perturbed motion the point C is below point O, when points C and O coincide, and when the length of the filament is zero (Lagrange gyroscope). In /2/ an analysis is given of the sufficient conditions for stability obtained in /1/, and also the necessary conditions for the cases where in a non-perturbed motion point C is located above point O.     

Optimal control of the rectilinear motion of a rigid body on a rough plane by means of the motion of two internal masses

The problem of the optimal control of a rigid body moving along a rough horizontal plane due to motion of two internal masses is solved. One of the masses moves horizontally parallel to the line of motion of the main body, while the other mass moves in the vertical direction. Such a mechanical system models a vibration-driven robot–a mobile device able to move in a resistive medium without special propellers (e.g., wheels, legs or caterpillars). Periodic motions are constructed for the internal masses to ensure velocity-periodic motion of the main body with maximum average velocity, provided that the period is fixed and the magnitudes of the accelerations of the internal masses relative to the main body do not exceed prescribed limits. Based on the optimal solution obtained for a fixed period without any constraints imposed on the amplitudes of vibration of the internal masses, a suboptimal solution that takes such constraints into account is constructed.     

A special case of the motion of a point mass

When investigating the motion of a point mass in a plane. Zhukovskii [1] pointed out a case when, without finding the general integrals of the equations of motion, one can specify particular integrals of these motions. To obtain the particular integrals in explicit form, a certain constraint was imposed on the force function. The case of motion without this constraint is investigated.     

First integrals and families of symmetric periodic motions of a reversible mechanical system

A reversible mechanical system which allows of first integrals is studied. It is established that, for symmetric motions, the constants of the asymmetric integrals are equal to zero. The form of the integrals of a reversible linear periodic system corresponding to zero characteristic exponents and the structure of the corresponding Jordan Boxes are investigated. A theorem on the non-existence of an additional first integral and a theorem on the structural stabilities of having a symmetric periodic motion (SPM) are proved for a system with m symmetric and k asymmetric integrals. The dependence of the period of a SPM on the constants of the integrals is investigated. Results of the oscillations of a quasilinear system in degenerate cases are presented. Degeneracy and the principal resonance: bifurcation with the disappearance of the SPM and the birth of two asymmetric cycles, are investigated. A heavy rigid body with a single fixed point is studied as the application of the results obtained. The Euler-Poisson equations are used. In the general case, the energy integral and the geometric integral are symmetric while the angular momentum integral turns out to be asymmetric. In the special case, when the centre of gravity of the body lies in the principal plane of the ellipsoid of inertia, all three classical integrals become symmetric. It is ascertained here that any SPM of a body contains four zero characteristic exponents, of which two are simple and two form a Jordan Box. In typical situation, the remaining two characteristic exponents are not equal to zero. All of the above enables one to speak of an SPM belonging to a two-parameter family and the absence of an additional first integral. It is established that a body also executes a pendulum motion in the case when the centre of gravity is close to the principal plane of the ellipsoid of inertia.     

Quadratic integrals and the reducibility of the equations of motion of a complex mechanical system in a central field

A mechanical system, consisting of a non-variable rigid body (a carrier) and a subsystem, the configuration and composition of which may vary with time (the motion of its elements with respect to the carrier is specified), is considered. The system moves in a central force field at a distance from its centre which considerably exceeds the dimensions of the system. The effect of the system motion about the centre of mass on the motion of the centre of mass, which is assumed to be known, is ignored (the analogue of the limited problem [1] for a rigid body). The necessary and sufficient conditions for a quadratic integral of the motion around the centre of mass to exist are obtained in the case when there is no dynamic symmetry. It is shown that, for a quadratic integral to exist, it is necessary that the trajectory of the motion of the centre of mass should be on the surface of a certain circular cone, fixed in inertial space, with its vertex at the centre of the force field. If the trajectory does not lie on the generatrix of the cone, only one non-trivial quadratic integral can exist and the initial system, in the presence of this quadratic integral, reduces to autonomous form. For the motion of the centre of mass along the generatrix or the motion of the system around a fixed centre of mass, the necessary and sufficient conditions for a non-trivial quadratic integral to exist are obtained, which are generalizations of the energy integral, the de Brun integral [2] and the integral of the projection of the kinetic moment. When three non-trivial quadratic integrals exist, the condition for reduction to an autonomous system describing the rotation of the rigid body around the centre of mass and integrable in quadratures are indicated [3, 4].     

Controlled motion of a rigid body with internal mechanisms in an ideal incompressible fluid

We consider the controlled motion in an ideal incompressible fluid of a rigid body with moving internal masses and an internal rotor in the presence of circulation of the fluid velocity around the body. The controllability of motion (according to the Rashevskii–Chow theorem) is proved for various combinations of control elements. In the case of zero circulation, we construct explicit controls (gaits) that ensure rotation and rectilinear (on average) motion. In the case of nonzero circulation, we examine the problem of stabilizing the body (compensating the drift) at the end point of the trajectory. We show that the drift can be compensated for if the body is inside a circular domain whose size is defined by the geometry of the body and the value of circulation.     

The motion of a body supported at three points on a rough plane

The problem of the motion of a heavy rigid body, supported on a rough horizontal plane at three of its points, is considered. The contacts at the support points are assumed to be unilateral and subject to the law of dry (Coulomb) friction. The dynamics of possible motions of such a body under the action of gravity forces and dry friction is investigated. In the case of a plane body, it is possible to obtain particular integrals of the equations of motion.     

On the fall of a heavy rigid body in an ideal fluid

We consider a problem about the motion of a heavy rigid body in an unbounded volume of an ideal irrotational incompressible fluid. This problem generalizes a classical Kirchhoff problem describing the inertial motion of a rigid body in a fluid. We study different special statements of the problem: the plane motion and the motion of an axially symmetric body. In the general case of motion of a rigid body, we study the stability of partial solutions and point out limiting behaviors of the motion when the time increases infinitely. Using numerical computations on the plane of initial conditions, we construct domains corresponding to different types of the asymptotic behavior. We establish the fractal nature of the boundary separating these domains.