Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2023 iii Paper 320 1 c Solution 2026-09-28
The sudden potential change leaves the star's position and velocity unchanged. Its new energy is thereforeThus precisely when . Parametrize the orbit by eccentric anomaly :A phase-mixed orbit is uniform in the mean anomaly . For , the condition is modulo one period. The corresponding mean-anomaly interval has lengthHenceThe energy increase is largest near periapsis, so stars are more readily unbound there than near apoapsis. A perfectly circular orbit is the measure-zero marginal case at every phase.