I will focus on the application of classical mechanics to solve the problem of planetary motion.?
In particular, we will derive Kepler's Laws, understand and mathematically calculate the orbits
resulting from various initial conditions, and we will discuss how applications of Kepler's Laws
help to discover black holes, dark matter and extrasolar planets.
Ch. 1: Planets - an overview
Ch. 2: Orbits - Kepler's Laws and Newtonian Mechanics
Ch. 3: Applications - In Search of Black Holes, Extrasolar Planets, and Dark Matter
References
- M.-C. Chu, Planets and Planetary Motions (This is a set of
lecture notes which will be distributed during the first class period.)
Further Reading
- D. Kleppner and R.J. Kolenkow, An Introduction to Mechanics (McGraw-Hill, 1973).
- M.A. Seeds, Foundations of Astronomy (Brooks/Cole, 2004).
- R P Feynman, R B Leighton and M Sands, The Feynman
Lectures on Physics, Vol. I (Addison-Wesley, Reading, Mass., 1964).
- A. Unsold and B. Baschek, The New Cosmos: An Introduction to Astronomy and Astrophysics
(Springer-Verlag, 1991).
