Past exam of the physics 1 paper of the University of Oxford / 2013 / 11 / a / Solution

Let $\mu =G{M}_{\ast }$ and use plane polar coordinates in the orbital plane. The Newtonian gravitational potential energy is $U=-\mu M_p/r$, soA central force keeps the orbit in a plane. The star is treated as stationary, appropriate when $M_p\ll M_{\ast }$; otherwise the two-body reduction uses the reduced mass and the relative separation.