Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-oxford/2023/prelims/mathematics-iv/4/b/ii/solution

The oscillatory numerator has amplitude . Therefore the reciprocal radius stays bounded away from zero exactly when
In this case the radial bounds are
For completeness, the potential energy per unit mass is , and conservation of mechanical energy gives
This effective potential diverges positively at zero, has one minimum at , and tends to zero from below at infinity. Since the initial radial velocity is negative, the particle first reaches an inner turning point. If , the subsequent outward motion has no finite outer turning point and escapes. At equality the escape speed tends to zero, but the radius is still unbounded; infinity is approached only as time tends to infinity. Hence
The minimum of permits a circular orbit for other initial data, but the nonzero initial radial velocity here excludes that exceptional solution.

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