Posted on 07/18/2002 4:13:04 PM PDT by blam
"You take the high road and I'll take the Lo road, and I'll get to Saturn befooooore ye!"
Apparently L4 and L5 type Lagrange points, the kind that occur 60 degrees before and after an orbiting planet on the orbital path, act like virtual masses. They can capture junk and hold it without any extra lucky inertia-robbing collisions.
im trying, but it's escaping me. what's stumping me is the 60 degree thing. it would seem that a more massive planet would generate a L point at a farther distance along the orbital path. I wonder if Lagrange is assuming that the two bodies are the same mass?but now, I might be mistaken, a hmm hmm hmm!
The Jupiter-Lo method has been dubbed "J-Lo". Its use of "gravitational fuzzy boundaries" has been acclaimed as a pioneering application of fuzzy math, and will short-cut the Middle East peace process and formation of boundaries of the proposed Palestinian state from "billions and billions of eons" to "how will we fill the rest of the time till lunch?"
The combined pull of, say, the sun and Jupiter will create two regions of attraction at points ahead of and behind Jupiter (or any other planet) which can capture mass. Lagrange worked out the math. He has the details if you can dig him up.
Yes, they do, L4 and L5. Objects in there have elongated, kidney-bean shaped orbits. But an object passing into the region would just shoot right on out the other side if it doesn't hit something hit or if its speed is too high for solar wind to make a difference. Once it is in orbit, it will stay, generally, although objects can escape on their own, too.
I hope it's an autobahn... ;-)
Of course it will be. Werner Von Braun always said that we got to the moon first because our Germans were better than their (Russia's) Germans.
We're out here. Long time reader of all their stuff, individually and collaboratively. Subscribe to Pournelle's site. It's about the only thing I look at regularly, other than FR and weather radar.
LOL!
Space cities at L5 points are a staple of hard science fiction.
Yes. The bigger the orbit, the farther away the L4 and L5 points.
I wonder if Lagrange is assuming that the two bodies are the same mass?
Not if you mean the sun and Jupiter, or any two real bodies. If you mean the L4 and L5 apparent masses, that web page uses one description for both.
For rent: LaGrange Points between planets. Reduce your fuel consumption! Win friends! Have fresher breath!
Genesis allowed is not! Is planet forbidden!
LOL!, but a subtle lie....
reminds me of the toll booth in Blazing Saddles.-- Slim Pickens: dang! anybody got a dime?!
Ahem...Sorry, imperial sounding dude, but I beat you to it @ post #28........
Kind of hard to achieve that up here...
The dust is a real bitch!!!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.