Motion around Lagrangian Points

References: Szebehely, V, Theory of Orbits - The Restricted Problem of Three Bodies, Academic Press, New York and London, 1967

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Outline
Brief review on CRTBP equations and Lagrangian Points Linear Analysis of motion near Lagrangian Points
Linear variational equation Associated eigen-problem and characteristic equation Motion around triangular Lagrangian Points Stability

Examples of space missions at Lagrangian Points

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Circular Restricted Three Body Problem

PROBLEM: Describe the motion of a mass m subjected to gravitational attraction of 2 point-masses m1 and m2 (primaries) revolving on circular orbits

m = Fg1 + Fg 2 = r

1m
r
3 1

r1

2m
r
3 2

r2

In the Inertial Frame (2D): d2 "X % R = 2 # & = gradU U(R,t) = 1 + 2 dt $ Y ' R1 R2 In the Synodic Frame (2D):

# 1 2 ! % !! ! 2"y ! "2 x = ! 3 (x + !2 r12 ) ! 3 (x + !2 r12 ! r12 ) x r1 r2 % $ % !! + 2"x ! "2 y = ! 1 y ! 2 y ! y % r13 r23 &
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Lagrangian Equilibrium Points

Lagrangian points: equilibrium points of the CRTBP dynamical system;

Given a dynamical system: x = f (x)

A solution x(t) is called an equilibrium solution if the path in the state space is represented by a ! single point a where x(t0) = a. This point is obtained from the equation f(x) = 0 (obtained by posing x = 0 ) and it is called an equilibrium, stationary or critical point. By posing f(x) = 0 in the orbital plane of the ! primaries (x-y) we obtain the five locations two of Lagrangian points.
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Non-dimensional form of equations

Non-dimensional parameters:

G(m1 + m2 ) = 1 r12 = 1 1 =1 !

Masses are made non dimensional with respect to (w.r.t.) the total mass parameters of the system Lenghts are adimensionalized w.r.t. the distance between primaries Times are adimensionalized w.r.t. the inverse of angular rate of primaries

Equations (2D) in non-dimensional form:

$ #J " 2 y = x & & #x % & + 2 x = #J &y #y '

J potential function (centrifugal + gravitational)

r12 1 r22 1 J ( x, y) = (1 ) + + + 2 r 2 r 1 2
Mass Parameter Nondimensional distances from primaries
m2 m1 + m2
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" = #2 =

r1 = (x + ! )2 + y 2 r2 = (x + ! !1)2 + y 2
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Properties of function J at the equilibrium points

r12 1 r22 1 J ( x, y) = (1 ) + + + 2 r 2 r 1 2

r1 = (x + ! )2 + y 2 r2 = (x + ! +1)2 + y 2

Some results from analysis of J(x,y) function: The absolute minima of J(x, y) occurs at L4 and L5; The collinear equilibrium points L1, L2, L3 are saddle points; Derivatives:
!J (1" ! ) ! = J x = x " 3 (x + ! ) " 3 (x + ! "1) !x r1 r2 # 1" ! ! & !J = J y = y %1" 3 " 3 ( !y r1 r2 ' $
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2J = J xx (x, y ) 2 x 2J = J yy (x, y ) 2 y 2J = J xy (x, y ) xy

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Analysis of Non-linear Systems

Preliminary Linear Analysis: A standard procedure in analyzing a non-linear system is to find its equilibria or fixed-points and linearize about those points Standard methodology:
Coordinate trasformation, Taylor series expansion, Linear variational equation of motion, Analysis of associated eigenproblem (eigenvalues and eigenvectors), Stability analysis.

The study of the linearized system can provide several information:

The proper frequencies of the system (eigenvalues); Independent directions of eigenspaces of the system (eigenvectors); Linear stability considerations;

Lets apply to the planar CRTBP case!

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Linear Analysis
GOAL: Determine how the mass m moves in the proximity of a Lagrangian point. 1. Coordinate Trasformation:

x = y Where (a,b) is the particular Lagrangian point Li considered, and ( , ) are coordinates relative to Li.
x a = + y b
When the coordinates ( , ) are small, we treat the motion in the proximity of the equilibrium point: ! a % ! 1/ 2 (! % a x1, 2,3 # m2 # # # with " = L4,5 = " b & = " 3 / 2 & L1, 2,3 = b = 0 m1 + m2 # 0 # # # 0 0 0 $ ' $ '
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x = y

Linear Analysis
2. Taylor expansion :
J = J(a, b) + J x (a, b)! + J y (a, b)" + O(2)

The function J is expanded in Taylor series around the Lagrangian point (a,b) Calculating the derivatives Jx and Jy from the J-expansion, and remembering that first derivatives of J function are equal to zero (by definition of equilibrium point) at Lagrangian point (a,b):

0 = J x ( a, b) 0 = J y ( a, b)
By substituition in the eqns of motion we obtain the linear variational equation
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Linear Analysis
3. Linear variational equation of motion :
%" # 2$ = J xx (a,b)" + J xy (a,b)$ + O(2) ' & '$ + 2" = J yx (a,b)" + J yy (a,b)$ + O(2) (

In matrix form: !
$" ' +0 *2 .$" ' +J xx (a,b) J xy (a,b) .$" ' $0 ' % (+ 0% ( 1 % ( 0% ( * &#) ,2 0 /&#) ,J xy (a,b) J yy (a,b) /&#) &0 )

!
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Linear Analysis
[0]
0 1 x1 0 x 0 0 0 2 x = = x3 J xx (a, b) J xy (a, b) 0 x4 J xy (a, b) J yy (a, b) 2

[1]

0 x1 1 x2 = [ A]x 2 x3 0 x4

[B]
Matrix of second derivatives of J potential function (depend on the equilibrium point)
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[G ]
Giroscopic coupling due to Coriolis in synodic frame (constant skew matrix)
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Linear Analysis
4. Eigen-problem:

det([A] I ) = 0
The 4-th order characteristic equation is:

! + "4 ! J xx (a, b) ! J yy (a, b)$ ! 2 + J xx (a, b)J yy (a, b) ! " J xy (a, b)$ = 0 # % # %
NOTE: In the general 3D case the characteristic equation is of 6-th order, but it can be reduced to the same 4-th order equation By specifying the particular Lagrangian point coordinates (a,b), we can solve the eigenproblem and evaluate the eigen-frequencies of oscillation Now we will consider:
Motion around three collinear points L1, L2 and L3 Motion around two triangular points L4, L5
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Motion around collinear points

Values of second-order derivatives at collinear points:
J xx (L1,2,3 ) > 0;!!J yy (L1,2,3 ) < 0!! J xx J yy < 0 e J xy (L1,2,3 ) = 0

Characteristic equation solution:

[" = # ]
2

" + 2 $1" % $ = 0

2 2

2 2 = J xx J yy > 0
Real roots Imaginary roots

1 = 2

J xx + J yy

1 = 1 + 12 + 22 > 0 2 = 1 12 + 22 < 0

1, 2 = 1 3, 4 = 2

The positive real root causes one term of the solution to be unbounded -> the motion is unstable
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Motion around collinear points

Solution of the motion:

4 Ai it = e i =1 Bi
The eight coefficients Ai, Bi depends on initial conditions, but only four of them are indipendent, because they are linked together as follows:

2 i

J xx Ai = (2i + J xy )Bi

i2 J xx Bi = Ai = i Ai 2i

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Motion around collinear points

The coefficients A1 and A2 are associated with the real exponents, corresponding to exponential increase (Re>0) and decay (Re<0) of the solution; We can pose A1 = A2 = 0 and select the particular solutions containing only imaginary exponents, corresponding to harmonic motion around the Lagrangian point; We have: $" ' $ A3 ' + t $ A4 ' + t $"0 ' $#0 / -3 ' 3 4 % (=% (e + % (e = % (cos( st ) + % (sin( st ) &#) &* 3 A3 ) & ,* 4 A4 ) &#0 ) & ,"0 -3 ) After some calculations:
! Once initial positions are
selected, the corresponding initial velocities cannot be chosen freely:
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With

"0 = #0 s / $3 #0 = %"0 $3 s

s = 1 + 12 + 22 s 2 + J xx 3 = >1 2s

(Mean motion)

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Motion around collinear points

y L3 m1
Semimajor axis parallel to y Semiminor axis parallel to x Center of the ellipse coincident with the Lagrangian point Eccentricity (independent of the initial condition): Period:

L1 CM
2 +

L2 m2

The orbit is an ellipse in the (x,y) plane, of equation:

2 2 = 02 + 02 32 3

e = 1

32

T=

2 2 = s 1 + 12 + 22

Orbit is retrograde:

"0 = #( $3 s)%0 !
>0

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Motion around triangular points

Values of second-order derivatives at triangular points:

% % 3 9 3"1 3"1 J xx (L4,5 ) = ; J yy (L4,5 ) = ; J xy (L4 ) = 3 $ ! ! '; !!J xy (L5 ) = !3 $ ! ! ' & & 4 4 2 #2 2 #2 Characteristic equation: 27 4 2 + + (1 ) = 0 4 1 1 27 (1 ) = 2 1, 2 = 2

Stability of motion around L4, L5 depends on the value of mass parameter that makes the discriminant under the square root vanish ( = 0):
1 " 27# (1 " # ) = 0 $ 1% 69 ( # cr = '1 " * + 0.038521 2& 9 )
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Motion around triangular points

1, 2 < 0
( Stable)

1$ 69 ' " cr = &1 # ) * 0.038521 2% 9 (

1, 2 C
with Real part>0 ( Unstable)

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Motion around triangular points

(1)

0 < cr : Motion is bounded and is given by the superposition of 2 harmonic oscillations with different frequencies s1, s2 (2) cr < < 1 / 2 : Motion is unstable : Solution contains secular terms (3) = cr
(1) Stable solution (0 < cr ) Roots of characteristic equations are pure imaginary:

1, 2 = i 1 = i s1

3, 4 = i 2 = i s2

Where s1 and s2 are the two angular frequencies (or mean motions) that characterize the motion around triangular points Frequencies s1 and s2 are the eigen-frequencies of the dynamical system and do not depend on the coordinate system used
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Motion around triangular points

2 2

s1 = s2 =

" cr # 0.038521

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Motion around triangular points

Ti = 2 si

2"
" cr # 0.038521

!
!
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Motion around triangular points

Solution of the motion:

S1 C2 S 2 C1 = cos( s1t ) + sin(s1t ) + cos( s2t ) + sin(s2t ) C1 S1 C2 S 2

Where:
Long-period terms ( s1) Short-period terms (s2)

Ci = i (2 si S i J xy (a, b)Ci ) S i = i (2 si Ci + J xy (a, b) S i )

i =

1 s + J yy (a, b)
2 i

>0

The motion is a combination of short-period terms (associated with s1) and long-period terms (associated with s2); For values of occurring in the Solar System (10-3 < < 10-6) long-period terms (T1 = 2/s1) are between (about) 12 500 times the period of revolution of the primaries, and short period terms (T2 = 2/s2) are approximately the same as the period of revolution of the primaries (s2 1)
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Motion around triangular points

We can study separately short-period solution and long-period solution In both cases, the orbit results to be an ellipse with rotated principal axes:
2 " 2#2 4s12 + J xy + $2 + 2"$# J xy = 4s12#2 ( S12 + C12 ) 1 1 1 It is convenient to rotate the reference frame to align the ellipse with principal axes: ! # ! % ) cos # (sin # ,! ! % # # # + ." tan 2! = 3 (1! 2" ) " &= & ! # " # + sin # cos # .# " # ' -$ $ ' *

Solution of motion equations becomes:

A1 B A B = cos( s1t ) + 1 sin(s1t ) + 2 cos( s2t ) + 2 sin(s2t ) B1 A2 B2 A1
In order to have short-period or long-period terms only, initial velocities cannot be chosen freely
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Ai = i Bi Bi = i Ai
si2 + 2 2s i = = 2 i 2si si + 1

! ! 0 = "0 si / #i ! !0 = !"i# 0 si
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Motion around triangular points

Short-period motion Long-period motion L5 m1

2

m2
2

The orbit is an ellipse of equation: 2 + = 2 + 0 0 2 2

Semimajor axis parallel to normal axis, with lenght: Semiminor axis parallel to normal axis, with lenght:

ai = 02 +

02 i2

bi = i2 02 + 02

Center of the ellipse coincident with the Lagrangian Point Eccentricity:

ei = 1 i2

i = 1 : long period term i = 2 : short period term

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Motion around triangular points

(2) Unstable solution

( cr < < 1 / 2)

In this case there are 4 complex eigenvalues with positive real part; The motion is unbounded, the equilibrium unstable and orbits become spirals. Secular solution

(3)

(" = " cr = 0.0385208965)

In the limiting critical case there are 2 couples of eigenvalues, each one with multiplicity equal to 2 ! The double roots give secular terms and the equilibrium is unstable

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Examples: motion around triangular points in the Earth-moon system

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Motion around L-points in Earth-Moon system

Alcuni esempi di orbite intorno ai punti Lagrangiani: - nel sistema terra-luna il periodo delle orbite : ai punti collineari: a L1: T 14 giorni a L2: T 12 giorni a L3: T 27 giorni ai punti triangulari L4, L5: T1 92 days, T2 28 days
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Orbita al punto triangolare L4 nel sistema terra-luna (dimensioni in migliaia di km)

Application: Trojans asteroids

Trojans: family of asteroids orbiting at Sun-Jupiter triangular points. Predicted in 1772 by Lagrange First observational verification in 1906 (the 588 Achilles asteroid)
No. 588 617 624 659 884 911 1143 1172 1173 1208 1404 1437 1583 1647 Name Achilles Patroclus Hector Nestor Priamus Agamennon Odysseus Aneas Anchises Troilus Ajax Diomedes Antilochus Menelaus n mean 298,264 298,645 306,17 296,08 297,814 305,12 300,443 300,254 308,455 302,757 302,437 304,209 292,784 297,306 a 5,2112 5,2068 5,1211 5,2368 5,2164 5,1328 5,186 5,1881 5,0958 5,1595 5,1631 5,1431 5,276 5,2224 L 5 4 5 5 4 5 5 4 4 4 5 5 5 5

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3D orbits: Lissajous and Halo

The out-of-plane motion along z-axis is decoupled from (x,y) planar orbits and in the linear approximation it is simply expressed by an undamped harmonic oscillator The general case of 3D orbits is given by the combination of in-plane and out-of-plane motion:

x = !kAy cos ( ! t + ! ) y = !Ay sin ( ! t + ! ) z = !Az sin (! t + ! )

: IN-PLANE PULSATION [rad/s] : OUT-OF-PLANE PULSATION [rad/s]

LINEAR LISSAJOUS ORBIT

(! ! " )

LINEAR HALO ORBIT

(! ! " )

The resulting orbital path is a 3D Lissajous figure (Lissajous orbit); When in-plane and out-of plane frequencies are equal, the figure looks like an halo (Halo orbits).
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