Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2009/ii/paper-2/15e/solution

The angles and are cyclic. Their conjugate momentum components are and , so both are conserved; consequently is constant. With ,
Eliminating the cyclic velocities gives the nutation effective potential
apart from the constant axial spin energy. Thus
The endpoint is excluded for these nonzero conserved momenta: the effective potential diverges there. The apparent Euler-angle singularity at is interpreted by its smooth small-tilt limit.

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