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10. Orbital Motion
Motion in an inverse-square force field
Conventions and units
C++
and
python
sample programs: 2-D motion under gravity
a
3D vector class
and
test program
(in C++)
motion under gravity, C++ vector version
motion under gravity, numpy version
Orbital properties: Kepler's laws
In-class exercise 10.1
: verifying Kepler's laws
Some numerical issues
orbit precession
managing energy errors in a singular potential
"softening" the force law
time step control
time step doubling
In-class exercise 10.2
: variable time steps