Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 iii Paper 316 4 i Solution 2026-09-25
At the exterior mean-motion resonance,Using the Kepler third law for givesThe disturbing function is a Fourier series in integer combinations of the orbital angles. The D'Alembert characteristic permits the eccentric termAway from resonance, terms with rapidly circulating angles average away. Here, however,so is a slow resonant argument. Successive astronomical conjunctions then act coherently, making this term dominate the long-period resonant dynamics even though a th-order resonance has coefficient proportional to at small eccentricity.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 iii Paper 316 4 iv Solution 2026-09-25
If an exterior planetesimal reaches conjunction just before apoapsis, its radius is increasing. The closer pre-conjunction pull from the trailing inner planet removes more specific angular momentum than the more distant post-conjunction pull restores. Its semi-major axis falls, its mean motion rises, and the next conjunction moves later in its orbit toward apoapsis. A conjunction just after apoapsis produces the reverse imbalance: the stronger post-conjunction pull adds angular momentum, raises the semi-major axis, and shifts the next conjunction earlier. The conjunction phase is therefore restored toward apoapsis.
The symmetric configuration has one of the three conjunction branches at apoapsis and the other two symmetrically placed. It hasso the resonant argument librates about .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 iii Paper 316 4 vi Solution 2026-09-25
For each point , sample and the three conjunction branchesFor every branch, solve Kepler's equation for the eccentric anomaly, evaluate , and minimize the planet-planetesimal separation over and . Mark the point as encounter-capable when this minimum is below a chosen , naturally the Hill radius for strong scattering. Repeating this calculation on a grid traces the boundary in the -- plane.
Direct integrations of the circular restricted three-body problem can then refine the geometric map by allowing the resonant argument, eccentricity, and conjunction kicks to evolve self-consistently. The integrations distinguish merely orbit-crossing initial data from trajectories that actually enter the encounter region, and reveal chaotic layers near the boundary.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2026 iii Paper 316 4 a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
The radiation-pressure coefficient reduces the dust grain's effective stellar gravitational parameter to . At the exterior 5:4 mean-motion resonance, , so mean motion givesThis is a first-order mean-motion resonance. Its leading disturbing-function term is therefore linear in the small orbital eccentricity:Thus its dimensionless strength is of order , up to the Laplace-coefficient combination , and its resonant argument varies slowly near commensurability.