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Joined 2026-09-21 Message
Incoming links: Precessing orbit
For ∣x∣≪s0 the quadratic Hamiltonian describes a simple harmonic oscillator withAn exactly circular orbit closes for every nonzero l. A nonzero infinitesimal radial oscillation closes at leading order precisely when 3sinθ is rational. This condition concerns the cone angle: changing s0 or l cannot change the leading-order ratio. Thus there are no special nonzero l values selecting closure for a fixed cone at this order.
ωs2=s03gcosθ,ωϕ2=m2s04sin4θl2=s0sin2θgcosθ,∣ωϕ∣ωs=3sinθ.
At finite radial amplitude the system is equivalent, after unrolling the cone with planar angle χ=ϕsinθ, to a planar central force with potential proportional to s. Its angle advance per radial period changes continuously from 2π/3 near a circle towards π at very large radial energy. Hence the physical advance changes from 2π/(3sinθ) towards π/sinθ. This nonzero interval contains rational multiples of 2π, so tuning a larger initial ∣ps∣ can produce closed orbits even when the small-amplitude ratio is irrational. Generic amplitudes still produce a precessing orbit; neither energy conservation nor increasing ∣ps∣ guarantees closure.