For perturbing acceleration on an osculating orbital element system with fixed central parameter ,To prove it, differentiate the specific orbital energy , obtaining . Substitute , and . Here is the true anomaly; a normal perturbing acceleration does no instantaneous work.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2004 ia Paper 4 3A Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2011 ia Paper 4 9B a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 ia Paper 4 3B iii Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-06
The work done by a force is . By the work-energy theorem, this has the same physical dimension as energy. ThusAlthough torque and energy have the same physical dimension, they represent different physical quantities.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 iii Paper 316 2 iii Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
Put . The Poynting–Robertson drag acceleration has and . Its work is strictly dissipative:For an unperturbed elliptic orbit, use , and . Averaging over its orbital period givesSince , and , the Poynting–Robertson decay of a circumstellar orbit isFor a circular Kepler orbit this becomes . This is a secular first-order average, not an exact instantaneous decay law. If static radiation pressure is appreciable, use a bound conservative orbit with central parameter , requiring , and define its orbital elements accordingly; repeating the work calculation cancels and leaves the same coefficient .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 iii Paper 316 2 i Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
Treat as instantaneous osculating orbital elements of the fixed-central-parameter Kepler orbit. The perturbing work changes the specific orbital energy according toThe specific angular momentum and conic equation giveSubstituting proves the Gauss planetary equation for the semi-major axis:Here denotes true anomaly, not the fractional luminosity used in Question 1. The equation follows from work alone; a normal perturbing acceleration has no instantaneous contribution because the velocity lies in the orbital plane. For slowly averaged evolution, the perturbation must be weak over one orbital period.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 iii Paper 316 2 iv Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
Let , and . A tightly bound circumplanetary orbit lies well inside the Hill sphere, so and its orbital period is short compared with the planet's year. Treat the stellar flux and stellar direction as constant during one dust orbit. With stellar-frame velocity , the velocity-dependent acceleration isThe terms independent of , including the leading static radiation pressure, do no net work on an unperturbed closed circular orbit. HenceFor a coplanar circular orbit, and the component along the stellar direction has mean square . Thus yields the Poynting–Robertson decay of a circumplanetary orbitThe coefficient three assumes coplanarity, which the PDF does not state. For orbital normal , the general circular covariance is , givingAn orbital plane normal to the stellar radial direction has coefficient two during that orbit, a counterexample to an orientation-independent coefficient three. Averaging also over the planet's circular stellar orbit, with fixed dust-plane orbital inclination to it, gives coefficient . The conservative forces must be weak enough for the assumed approximately circular, planet-bound orbit to persist; the small planet-to-star mass ratio alone does not ensure this for arbitrary grain .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ii Paper 3 34D a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-06
A clockwise engine Carnot cycle has four reversible steps. At hot temperature , isothermal expansion absorbs and does positive work by the gas. Adiabatic expansion then cools it to , with zero heat and positive work by the gas. Isothermal compression at emits and requires work on the gas. Finally adiabatic compression returns it to , with zero heat and work on the gas.
For an ideal gas, the isotherms obey and the adiabats , the latter being steeper. In the plane, the isotherms are horizontal and the adiabats vertical, forming a clockwise rectangle. Heat occurs only on the horizontal legs, while work occurs on all four legs.Reversing the arrows gives a refrigerator, reversing the heat and work signs.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ii Paper 3 34D b ii Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-05
