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For a smooth horizontal circular hoop of radius $a$, rotated at constant angular velocity $\omega$ about a vertical axis through a rim point, measure $\theta$ at that pivot from the diameter toward the bead. In rotating Cartesian coordinate system coordinates, $\mathbf{r}=a(1+\cos 2\theta ,\sin 2\theta ,0)$. The tangential component of the centrifugal acceleration gives the displayed equation; the Coriolis acceleration is normal to the hoop. The farthest point $\theta =0$ is stable for $\omega \ne 0$, with small oscillation angular frequency $|\omega |$. The pivot itself is unstable. This geometry differs from a vertical rotating hoop and has no tangential gravitational term.

Apply the rotating-frame derivative formula first to $r$, then to $v^{\prime }=[dr/dt{]}_{S^{\prime }}$. Since the angular velocity is constant in either frame,The two apparent forces in the rotating equation are the Coriolis force and the centrifugal acceleration multiplied by mass. ThusSet ${\varphi }_{\mathrm{eff}}=\varphi -\frac{m}{2}|\omega \times r{|}^2$. The supplied gradient identity gives $\nabla {\varphi }_{\mathrm{eff}}=\nabla \varphi +m\omega \times (\omega \times r)$. Taking the scalar product with $v^{\prime }$ removes $G$, since it is orthogonal to $v^{\prime }$, and removes the Coriolis force. Therefore the energy balance in a uniformly rotating frame isThe displayed quantity is conserved when the potential is stationary in the rotating coordinates. This includes a static inertial potential invariant under rotations about the chosen axis, such as vertical gravity in part (b). If the word conservative only means a time-independent inertial potential, that extra rotational invariance is needed; a conservative force alone does not imply the claimed conservation.

For an explicit counterexample to that unrestricted interpretation, take unit mass, an inertial force $F=e_x$, $\varphi =-x$, no $G$, rotation $\omega =\omega e_z$, and inertial trajectory $r(t)=(t^2/2,1,0)$ with initial velocity zero. It satisfies Newton's second law. Substituting $v^{\prime }=\dot{r}-\omega \times r$ into the proposed energy gives $E=\omega t$, which is not constant for nonzero rotation. The qualified conservation law above is the one used for the hoop.

In the inertial frame the steady convective acceleration is $-R{\Omega }^2{\mathbf{e}}_R$. For a barotropic fluid, $\nabla p/\rho =\nabla h$, where $h$ is the barotropic enthalpy function. The equilibrium momentum equation therefore giveson each connected fluid region. Uniform rotation is essential: it makes the centrifugal acceleration derivable from the centrifugal potential $-{\Omega }^2{R}^2/2$.

The Cowling approximation sets the gravitational-potential perturbation to zero while retaining background gravity. The barotropic pressure force linearizes as $\delta (\nabla p/\rho )=\nabla \delta h$, with $\delta h=p^{\prime }/\rho =c_s^2{\rho }^{\prime }/\rho$. Denote its mode amplitude by $W$. The advective time derivative on a scalar mode is ${\partial }_t+\Omega {\partial }_{\varphi }$, so the stated positive-frequency exponential produces $i\sigma$ with $\sigma =\omega +m\Omega$. Linearizing the radial centrifugal term produces $-2\Omega v_{\varphi }$, while linearizing the azimuthal convective term produces $2\Omega v_R$. ThusThese are the pressure-gradient and Coriolis acceleration terms in the corotating-frame form. Independently, linearizing continuity equation givesThe equilibrium mass density is axisymmetric, so no additional azimuthal background-density derivative appears.

For $\sigma \ne 0$ and $D=4{\Omega }^2-{\sigma }^2\ne 0$, invert the horizontal momentum system:Inserting these into the continuity equation, dividing by $i\sigma$ and multiplying by $D$ givesThe two terms proportional to $\rho W_R$ cancel; this cancellation leaves precisely the background-density derivative in the last term. Since $-D/{\sigma }^2=1-4{\Omega }^2/{\sigma }^2$, this is exactlyThe singular frequency cases require the original velocity equations rather than this inversion.

In the low-frequency anelastic approximation for a rotating barotropic star, neglect the left side. Spherical background mass density satisfies ${\rho }_R/R={\rho }_z/z$, understood by its smooth limiting form on the equatorial plane. For $W=z{R}^m$,The remaining equation reduces toWriting $q=2\Omega /\sigma$, the bracket factors as $(m+1-q)(q+1)$. The regular desired branch is thereforeThe other algebraic factor corresponds to $\sigma =-2\Omega$, where the eliminated horizontal system is singular; it is not classified by this pressure-equation inversion. A constant-density background makes the bulk factor identically zero but does not invalidate the displayed solution.

For the regular branch, an explicit velocity check is particularly informative. Up to a common mode normalization,It satisfies $R{v}_R+z{v}_z=0$ and $\nabla \cdot \mathbf{v}=0$. Thus $\nabla \cdot (\rho \mathbf{v})=0$ for every spherical mass density profile, directly verifying the anelastic continuity condition. The motion is tangential to spherical shells and is the sectoral inertial mode of a slowly rotating barotropic star. For single-valued azimuthal modes, $m$ is a positive integer. With the source's exponential convention,For $m\ge 2$ the pattern is retrograde relative to the star but prograde in the inertial frame. This is a leading slow-rotation anelastic mode, not an exact solution of the compressible equations whose left-hand term was discarded.

Let $M=M_1+M_2$, and let $\mu =M_1{M}_2/M$ be the reduced mass. The stellar distances from the center of mass are $a_1=a{M}_2/M$ and $a_2=a{M}_1/M$. For a circular Kepler orbit, ${\Omega }^2=GM/a^3$, so summing the two orbital contributions gives the circular-binary orbital angular momentumThe separation $a$ is inside the square root. This also has the required dimensions of angular momentum.

For the homologous rotating collapse, label a fluid element by $s=r/R$ and its polar angle $\theta$. Its enclosed mass $m(s)$ is constant during stellar homology, as are the dimensionless density profile and the inertia coefficient $\alpha$. Conservation of angular momentum and solid-body rotation giveThe magnitude of the centrifugal acceleration is ${\Omega }^{2}r\sin \theta$, while the Newtonian gravitational field has magnitude $Gm(s)/r^2$. ThereforeUsing only the radial component of centrifugal force replaces $\sin \theta$ by ${\sin }^2\theta$ and leaves the scaling unchanged. The centrifugal force vanishes on the rotation axis; the central point is understood through the limiting field rather than a ratio of two zero forces.

At the equator of the cloud, critical rotation of a spherical cloud means ${\Omega }_c^2{R}_c=GM/R_c^2$, where $R_c=R_{\mathrm{crit}}$. ConsequentlyImmediately after the first fission, each daughter has mass $M/2$ and radius $a/2$ because the spheres touch. Their orbital moment of inertia is $M{a}^2/4$, while their combined spin moment of inertia is $\alpha M{a}^2/4$. With a common spin and orbital frequency ${\Omega }_f=\sqrt{GM/a^3}$, the synchronous fission model for binary formation givesThe common frequency can change during fission; corotation requires equal instantaneous frequencies, not an unchanged frequency from before the rearrangement. Equating the two values of $J$ yieldsFor a nonzero positive inertia coefficient, the necessary and sufficient condition in this algebraic model for $a<R_c$ isFor example, a moment of inertia of a uniform solid sphere has $\alpha =2/5$ and gives $a/R_c=64/49>1$; it fails the required compact-fission condition. A sufficiently centrally concentrated cloud can have smaller $\alpha$.

For the next collapse, neglect exchange of spin with the unchanged outer orbit, so each daughter's spin angular momentum is separately conserved. Immediately after the first fission that spin isFor a daughter of mass $m=M/2$ to reach critical rotation of a spherical cloud at radius $R_{c,d}$, the same relation gives $S_d=\alpha m\sqrt{Gm{R}_{c,d}}$. HenceEquivalently, its centrifugal-to-gravity ratio starts at $1/4$ when its radius is $a/2$ and reaches one after contraction by a factor four. Applying the same fission rule to this daughter produces an inner pair with separationCorotation at this second fission is local to each newly formed inner pair; it is not a single common frequency for the entire four-star hierarchy.

This spin assumption matters. If tidal locking instead kept each shrinking daughter synchronized to the fixed outer orbital period throughout the intervening collapse, its angular velocity would remain fixed. Its centrifugal-to-gravity ratio would then scale as $R_d^3$ and decrease, so it would never reach the proposed second fission. This is a counterexample to extending the corotation assumption through the whole contraction. The printed ratio describes the separately spin-conserving interpretation of the repeated fission hierarchy.

The model can generate a compact hierarchy algebraically, but is not a general physical account of multiple-star formation. In the allowed range $\alpha <1/3$, one has $a^{\prime }/a<1/8$, suggesting well-separated inner and outer scales. However, rapidly rotating gas deforms, touching daughters are tidally distorted, and pressure, gas flows, dissipation and spin-orbit torques cannot generally be ignored. The assumed identical profiles, equal mass splits, instantaneous corotation and later torque-free contractions are restrictive. Star formation can involve gravitational fragmentation and redistribution of angular momentum; the toy budget neither proves that fission occurs nor predicts the population of real multiple systems.

For any vector $\mathbf{a}$, differentiating its components and the rotating basis gives the rotating-frame derivative formulaApply it twice to the position $\mathbf{x}$, with constant angular velocity $\mathbf{\omega }$. The inertial acceleration iswhere dots denote rotating-frame derivatives. Newton's second law therefore becomesThe last terms are the Coriolis force and the force corresponding to centrifugal acceleration.

For the particle on a uniformly rotating inclined plane, choose orthonormal vectors ${\mathbf{e}}_1$ along the horizontal $\xi$ axis and ${\mathbf{e}}_2$ up the slope, and set ${\mathbf{e}}_3={\mathbf{e}}_1\times {\mathbf{e}}_2$, the upward normal vector. Then ${\mathbf{e}}_z=\sin \theta {\mathbf{e}}_2+\cos \theta {\mathbf{e}}_3$ andHere $N$ is the normal reaction. The marble is modeled as the smooth sliding particle specified by the printed equations, without an additional rolling constraint. The rotating-frame Coriolis acceleration and centrifugal acceleration are respectivelyThe normal rotating-frame acceleration is zero, so the normal reaction is not generally $mg\cos \theta$; it satisfiesProjecting the same equation onto the two tangential axes gives exactly

Multiply the equations by $\dot{\xi }$ and $\dot{\eta }$ and add. The Coriolis force terms cancel, as expected because this force does no work relative to the rotating frame. The normal reaction also does no work along the plane. The conserved quantity is rotating-frame kinetic energy plus gravitational and centrifugal potential energy:This need not be the conserved inertial energy, since the externally driven rotating plane can exchange energy with the particle.

Use an Earth-centred rotating reference frame, with Earth's constant angular velocity vector $\mathbf{\omega }$. The vectors $\mathbf{r}$, $\mathbf{v}$, and $\mathbf{a}$ are the particle's position, velocity, and acceleration measured in that rotating frame. The vector $\mathbf{g}$ is the gravitational acceleration due to the actual gravitational force, expressed in the same axes; it excludes the separate centrifugal acceleration. The remaining term $-2\mathbf{\omega }\times \mathbf{v}$ is the Coriolis acceleration. A constant rotation axis and an unaccelerated Earth-centred origin account for the absence of an Euler term or a translational-origin term.

For the size estimates, Earth's angular speed isWith drop height $H=20\mathrm{m}$, unperturbed free fall gives the fall timeand final speed $gT=20{\mathrm{m}\mathrm{s}}^{-1}$. Thus the gravitational term has size $10{\mathrm{m}\mathrm{s}}^{-2}$, the Coriolis acceleration is at most about $2\omega gT\approx 2.8\times 10^{-3}{\mathrm{m}\mathrm{s}}^{-2}$, and the centrifugal acceleration is at most ${\omega }^2{R}_0\approx 2.9\times 10^{-2}{\mathrm{m}\mathrm{s}}^{-2}$. These are characteristic sizes $10^1$, $10^{-3}$, and $10^{-2}$ in acceleration units; geometric factors can reduce them, and the Coriolis term is zero at release.

For a suitable approximation to the rotational deflection of a falling body, take $\mathbf{g}$ constant over the short fall, start at rest relative to Earth, and use the zeroth-order velocity ${\mathbf{v}}^{(0)}(t)=\mathbf{g}t$ inside the small Coriolis term. In the centrifugal term replace $\mathbf{r}$ by ${\mathbf{R}}_0$, because $H/R_0\ll 1$. Integrating the resulting acceleration twice, with initial position ${\mathbf{r}}_{\mathrm{i}}$, givesSince ${\mathbf{r}}_{\mathrm{i}}+\mathbf{g}{T}^2/2={\mathbf{R}}_0$, evaluating at the unperturbed fall time yields the printed first-iterate estimate

The approximation keeps the leading Coriolis contribution and the leading centrifugal contribution enhanced by Earth's large radius. Feeding the Coriolis velocity correction back into the equation produces terms of size ${\omega }^{2}g{T}^4$, smaller than the retained centrifugal displacement by a factor of order $H/R_0$. Replacing $\mathbf{r}$ by ${\mathbf{R}}_0$ in that term has the same relative error. Here $\omega T\approx 1.4\times 10^{-4}$ and $H/R_0\approx 3.3\times 10^{-6}$, so both approximations are well controlled. Strictly, the displayed vector is the position at time $T$: its small upward component is removed by the slightly longer actual fall time. That arrival-time correction changes the retained horizontal displacements only at higher order. Thus the horizontal components of the printed estimate give the landing point on the locally flat surface; its vertical component should not be interpreted as a landing above the ground.

Let ${\hat{\mathbf{e}}}_E,{\hat{\mathbf{e}}}_N,{\hat{\mathbf{e}}}_U$ point east, north, and vertically upwards. They form a right-handed basis, with ${\hat{\mathbf{e}}}_N\times {\hat{\mathbf{e}}}_U={\hat{\mathbf{e}}}_E$. At latitude $\lambda$, in the spherical-Earth approximation,The required cross products areAt $\lambda =45^{\circ }$, the northerly and easterly displacements are thereforeThe negative northerly component means a southward displacement. With the supplied values, these are approximately $2.9\mathrm{cm}$ south and $1.3\mathrm{mm}$ east. The eastward effect comes from Coriolis acceleration, while the leading southward effect here comes from centrifugal acceleration.

Let $\mathbf{v}$ denote the velocity relative to the uniformly rotating frame, and write $r_{\perp }^2=x^2+y^2$. For rotation $\mathbf{\Omega }=\Omega {\mathbf{e}}_z$, the Euler equations for an inviscid fluid in that frame areThe negative quadratic term is the centrifugal potential, whose negative gradient is the outward centrifugal acceleration per unit mass. In steady flow, dotting the equation with $\mathbf{v}$ eliminates the Coriolis force, since $\mathbf{v}\cdot (\mathbf{\Omega }\times \mathbf{v})=0$. The remaining acceleration term is $\mathbf{v}\cdot \nabla (|\mathbf{v}{|}^2/2)$. ThusBy part (b), the steady rotating-frame Bernoulli integral isSteadiness here is measured in the rotating frame, including the body-force potential used in that frame.

For constant density $\rho$ and constant angular velocity $\mathbf{\Omega }$, the Euler equations for an inviscid fluid in the rotating frame isThe last two forces are gravity and centrifugal acceleration; $2\mathbf{\Omega }\times \mathbf{u}$ is the Coriolis force term on the left. Incorporate both conservative forces into the modified pressureso the right side is $-\nabla \Pi$.

At latitude $\lambda$ on a spherical Earth of radius $R$, the outward local vertical component of centrifugal acceleration is ${\Omega }_E^{2}R{\cos }^2\lambda$. Its ratio to gravity is at most ${\Omega }_E^{2}R/g\simeq 3.5\times 10^{-3}$, using ${\Omega }_E\simeq 7.3\times 10^{-5}{\mathrm{s}}^{-1}$, $R\simeq 6.4\times 10^6\mathrm{m}$, and $g\simeq 9.8{\mathrm{m}\mathrm{s}}^{-2}$. Thus this component is small compared with gravity everywhere on Earth.

For a velocity scale $U$ and length scale $\ell$, nonlinear advection scales as $U^2/\ell$, whereas the Coriolis term scales as $2\Omega U$. Their ratio is the Rossby number $U/(2\Omega \ell )$. If it is small, for example by increasing rotation at fixed $U,\ell$, neglect nonlinear advection in perturbations about a fluid at rest. The conservative equilibrium forces have already been absorbed into pressure; with a rotation-timescale unsteady motion the leading equations areThese are the linear equations governing inertial waves.

The normalization of the circular restricted three-body problem implies ${\mu }_1+{\mu }_2=1$, by Kepler's third law. The two bodies have barycentric positions $(-{\mu }_2,0)$ and $({\mu }_1,0)$. ConsequentlyDifferentiate the effective potential directly:Since $x={\mu }_1(x+{\mu }_2)+{\mu }_2(x-{\mu }_1)$ and $y=({\mu }_1+{\mu }_2)y$, these becomeOn $y=0$, centrifugal acceleration is the straight line $a_{\mathrm{cf}}=x$. Each gravitational term points towards its source, diverges at that source, and tends to zero far away. Let $f(x)=U_x(x,0)$; away from the sources,Thus the net acceleration is strictly increasing on each of the three intervals separated by the bodies. On the left interval $f$ runs from $-\infty$ to $+\infty$; on the middle interval it runs from $-\infty$ just right of $M_1$ to $+\infty$ just left of $M_2$; on the right interval it runs from $-\infty$ to $+\infty$. The intermediate value theorem and strict monotonicity give exactly three collinear Lagrange points, $L_3,L_1,L_2$ in increasing $x$ order. The sketch plots gravity and centrifugal acceleration separately; their intersections with $a_{\mathrm{grav}}=-x$ locate the equilibria.

Write $x_{L2}={\mu }_1+\delta$, so $r_{2,L2}=\delta$ and $r_{1,L2}=1+\delta$. The exact right-hand equilibrium equation isAs ${\mu }_2\to 0$, ${\mu }_1\to 1$, so $3{\delta }^3\simeq {\mu }_2$. Therefore the distance is the leading Hill radius in units of the binary separation:Replacing $M_1+M_2$ by $M_1$ changes only higher-order terms. In dimensional units the right-hand side is multiplied by the binary separation.

Use the displacement vector $\mathbf{q}=(X,Y,\dot{X},\dot{Y}{)}^T$, where $X=x-x_{L2}$ and $Y=y$. The absolute coordinate $x$ cannot be the first entry of a homogeneous linear system about $L_2$; it must be translated. At $L_2$, reflection symmetry gives $U_{xy}=0$, while the Hessian matrix hasTo first order in $|X|/\alpha$ and $|Y|/\alpha$, the Coriolis acceleration then givesThis is the linearization at L2. The expression for $B$ is exact at the true equilibrium; in the small-secondary limit, ${\mu }_2/{\delta }^3\simeq 3$ and ${\mu }_1/(1+\delta {)}^3\simeq 1$, so $B\simeq 4$.

For an eigenmode proportional to $e^{\lambda t}$, eliminate the velocity coordinates. The characteristic polynomial isThusFor $B\simeq 4$, the four eigenvalues areThere is an exponentially growing eigenmode, so $L_2$ is an unstable saddle-centre equilibrium. A generic displacement has an unstable component whose distance grows as $e^{\sqrt{1+2\sqrt{7}}t}$. The L2 escape e-folding time isThis is a local exponential timescale, not the time to reach a prescribed distance from an unspecified initial offset. Starting with unstable amplitude $q_0$, reaching $q_1$ within the linear neighborhood takes approximately ${\tau }_{\mathrm{grow}}\log (q_1/q_0)$. Initial data exactly on the centre-stable subspace need not grow forward at this linear order; the existence of the growing eigenmode already proves instability.

The rotating-frame derivative formula is $(d\mathbf{A}/dt{)}_S=(d\mathbf{A}/dt{)}_{S^{\prime }}+\mathbf{\omega }\times \mathbf{A}$. Applying it twice to the position vector, with constant angular velocity, givesSolving for ${\mathbf{a}}_{S^{\prime }}$ identifies the displayed terms: its left side is the acceleration relative to the rotating reference frame, the first right-hand term is the inertial acceleration, $-2\mathbf{\omega }\times {\mathbf{v}}_{S^{\prime }}$ is the Coriolis acceleration, and $-\mathbf{\omega }\times (\mathbf{\omega }\times \mathbf{r})$ is the outward centrifugal acceleration.

For a particle of mass $m$, replace ${\mathbf{a}}_S$ by the actual force divided by $m$ using Newton's second law. The remaining terms then appear as apparent forces in $S^{\prime }$. There is no Euler acceleration because $\mathbf{\omega }$ is constant and no translational acceleration term because the common origin is fixed in the inertial frame.

The corotation radius is where the stellar spin matches Keplerian rotation:A parcel forced into corotation at $r_m$ has outward centrifugal acceleration ${\Omega }_m^2{r}_m$. This exceeds the inward gravitational acceleration whenThis is the onset condition for a centrifugal propeller effect. It does not by itself guarantee escape to infinity. For example, a parcel released with only azimuthal speed ${\Omega }_m{r}_m$ has nonnegative specific orbital energy only ifAdditional magnetic work, radial motion or pressure can alter that escape condition.

If $\mathbf{r}$ is measured in the rotating frame, its inertial velocity is $\dot{\mathbf{r}}+\mathbf{\omega }\times \mathbf{r}$. The masses producing the gravitational field are stationary in this frame, so their potential energy is a time-independent function $V(\mathbf{r})$. Thus kinetic minus potential energy gives the stated LagrangianPut $\mathbf{v}=\dot{\mathbf{r}}+\mathbf{\omega }\times \mathbf{r}$. ThenSubstitution in the Euler-Lagrange equation yieldsThe extra terms are the Coriolis acceleration, Euler acceleration, and centrifugal acceleration of a rotating reference frame.

The canonical momentum and Hamiltonian areAccordingly, Hamilton's equations are