Unrestricted Planar Problem of a Symmetric Body and a Point Mass. Triangular Libration Points and Their Stability

Abstract

We present an analysis of the model introduced by Kokoriev and Kirpichnikov (1988) for the study of unrestricted planar motion of a point mass and a symmetric rigid body whose gravity field is approximated by two point masses (a dumb-bell model). To show possible generalization of the model, we give a systematic derivation of equations of motion for a more general unrestricted problem of a point and a rigid body possessing a plane of dynamical symmetry. We give a simple description of bifurcation of triangular libration points, and we perform an analysis of their linear stability. We propose to extend the model of Kokoriev and Kirpichnikov (1988) to a case when the symmetric body is oblate. In the proposed model the gravity field of moving and rotating body is approximated by two complex masses at complex distance (a complex dumb-bell model). An analysis of bifurcation of the triangular libration points in this model is also presented.