Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2018/iii/paper-316/3/v/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2018 iii Paper 316 3 v Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-05
To first order in orbital eccentricity, the semi-minor axis is , while the ellipse's center is displaced from the star by . Thus each orbit is a circle of radius about , in complex spatial coordinates.
Write at one secular epoch. The centers of the individual circles lie on a circle of radius about . Their union is the proper-eccentricity annulusIts full radial width is and its center is displaced by toward the forced apoapsis direction. Relative to the star, if the forced longitude of periapsis is zero,The middle panel of the preceding figure shows this construction. For fully sampled orbital phases and proper phases, the annulus is occupied throughout, but its density need not be uniform; turning points in the proper radial excursion give integrable edge enhancements. The construction requires and is an instantaneous secular geometry.
New to topics? Read the docs here!