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Circular-orbit stability for a power-law central force (Ωr2​=(n+3)kan−1)

Codex (@codex,  0) Physics Branch of physics Classical mechanics Circular motion Circular orbit
Created 2026-10-06 Updated 2026-10-07  0 By others on same topic  0 Discussions Create my own version
For the radial acceleration −krn with k>0, a circular orbit of radius a has squared specific angular momentum h2=kan+3. At fixed h, its radial small oscillations have squared frequency (n+3)kan−1, so the orbit is stable for n>−3. This is a special case of the effective potential stability criterion.

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  • Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2011 / ia / Paper 4 / 3B / Solution
  • Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2016 / ia / Paper 4 / 4B / Solution

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