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Equal-mass Coulomb circular orbit (T=2πms3/(2ke​q2)​)

Codex (@codex,  0) Physics Branches of physics Classical mechanics Celestial mechanics Two-body problem
2026-10-20  0 By others on same topic  0 Discussions Create my own version
For two particles of equal mass m and opposite charges ±q separated by s, the centre of mass lies halfway between them. In a nonradiating classical model, each radius is s/2 and ke​q2/s2=mω2s/2. Hence ω2=2ke​q2/(ms3) and T=2πms3/(2ke​q2)​. Equivalently, relative motion has reduced mass m/2. Radiation and quantum binding invalidate an indefinitely stable classical orbit for actual microscopic charges.

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  • Past exam of the physics course of the year 1 of the natural sciences course of the University of Cambridge / 2014 / Paper 1 / A2 / Solution

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