Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2026/iii/paper-316/4/c/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2026 iii Paper 316 4 c Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
At exact conjunction the planet's force is radial and has no instantaneous torque, but the approach and departure do not cancel when conjunction is displaced from apoapsis. Write the conjunction longitude as . At conjunction,The resonant part of the given evolution law has . Thus a conjunction after apoapsis, , gives and transfers angular momentum to the dust, increasing . A conjunction before apoapsis removes angular momentum, while one exactly at apoapsis has zero secular transfer by symmetry.
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