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For a trajectory with incoming and outgoing straight asymptotes, the deflection angle is the angle between its limiting incoming and outgoing velocity directions. For an attractive hyperbolic orbit of eccentricity $e$ and impact parameter $d$, $\sin (\delta /2)=1/e$ and $\tan (\delta /2)=GM/(d{v}^2)$, where $v$ is the incoming speed at infinity. The incoming velocity points opposite to the incoming radial direction; ignoring that reversal gives the wrong angle.

Far from the planet, the magnitude of angular momentum per unit mass is the magnitude of the cross product of position vector and velocity. The perpendicular distance from the incoming asymptote is the impact parameter $d$, soChoose $\theta =0$ at closest approach. The general solution of the differential equation in a, with $u^{\prime }(0)=0$, isThe specific orbital energy isAt infinity $\epsilon =v^2/2$, giving $e=\sqrt{1+h^2{v}^2/{\mu }^2}>1$. Thus the hyperbolic orbit hasA different zero of polar angle simply replaces $\theta$ by $\theta -{\theta }_0$.

The incoming and outgoing asymptotes have radial directions $-{\theta }_{\infty }$ and ${\theta }_{\infty }$, where $\cos {\theta }_{\infty }=-1/e$ and $\pi /2<{\theta }_{\infty }<\pi$. The incoming velocity points opposite its radial direction, so the deflection angle between incoming and outgoing velocities is $\delta =2{\theta }_{\infty }-\pi$. HencePutting $\delta =\pi /2$ gives

Write $\mu =GM$ and let $v_c=\sqrt{\mu /r_0}$ be the original circular orbital speed. An impulse leaves the orbital angular momentum unchanged if it is radial: its angular impulse $\mathbf{r}\times \Delta \mathbf{p}$ is zero. The tangential velocity remains $v_c$, and an added radial component $w$ givesThus kinetic energy increases even though angular momentum does not. For a Radial kick from a circular Kepler orbit, the new specific orbital energy and squared specific angular momentum areThe orbital eccentricity is $e=\sqrt{1+2\epsilon j^2/{\mu }^2}=\sqrt{\beta -1}$, while the semi-latus rectum is $p=j^2/\mu =r_0$. HenceFor $\beta =2$ the trajectory is a parabolic Kepler orbit and has no finite furthest radius; its periapsis is $r_0/2$. For $\beta >2$ it is a hyperbolic orbit, with the same formula for $r_{\min }$ but unbounded radius:One must not use the negative denominator in the bound-orbit expression as a negative physical apocentre. On a departing unbound branch the conic's periapsis may already lie in the past; the future minimum from the kick event is then $r_0$. These are ideal conic orbits; a periapsis inside a real planet would cause impact before the ideal continuation.