Energy
Under standard assumptions, specific orbital energy of elliptic orbit is negative and the orbital energy conservation equation (the Vis-viva equation) for this orbit can take the form:
where:
- is orbital speed of orbiting body,
- is distance of orbiting body from central body,
- is length of semi-major axis,
- is standard gravitational parameter.
Conclusions:
- For a given semi-major axis the specific orbital energy is independent of the eccentricity.
Using the virial theorem we find:
- the time-average of the specific potential energy is equal to 2ε
- the time-average of r−1 is a−1
- the time-average of the specific kinetic energy is equal to –ε
Read more about this topic: Elliptic Orbit
Famous quotes containing the word energy:
“For infants and toddlers learning and living are the same thing. If they feel secure, treasured, loved, their own energy and curiosity will bring them new understanding and new skills.”
—Amy Laura Dombro (20th century)
“The chief function of the city is to convert power into form, energy into culture, dead matter into the living symbols of art, biological reproduction into social creativity.”
—Lewis Mumford (1895–1990)
“The scholar may be sure that he writes the tougher truth for the calluses on his palms. They give firmness to the sentence. Indeed, the mind never makes a great and successful effort, without a corresponding energy of the body.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)