Methods of Celestial Mechanics: Volume I: Physical, Mathematical, and Numerical Principles (Astronomy and Astrophysics Library) - Hardcover

Gerhard Beutler

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 3642105297 ISBN 13: 9783642105296

Publisher: Springer, 2009

Synopsis

G. Beutler's Methods of Celestial Mechanics is a coherent textbook for students as well as an excellent reference for practitioners. The first volume gives a thorough treatment of celestial mechanics and presents all the necessary mathematical details that a professional would need. The reader will appreciate the well-written chapters on numerical solution techniques for ordinary differential equations, as well as that on orbit determination. In the second volume applications to the rotation of earth and moon, to artificial earth satellites and to the planetary system are presented. The author addresses all aspects that are of importance in high-tech applications, such as the detailed gravitational fields of all planets and the earth, the oblateness of the earth, the radiation pressure and the atmospheric drag. The concluding part of this monumental treatise explains and details state-of-the-art professional and thoroughly-tested software for celestial mechanics. The accompanying CD-ROM enables readers to employ this software themselves and also serves as to illustrate and reinforce the related theoretical concepts.

About this title

From the Back Cover

G. Beutler's Methods of Celestial Mechanics is a coherent textbook for students in physics, mathematics and engineering as well as an excellent reference for practitioners. This  Volume I gives a thorough treatment of celestial mechanics and presents all the necessary mathematical details that a professional would need. After a brief review of the history of celestial mechanics, the equations of motion (Newtonian and relativistic versions) are developed for planetary systems (N-body-problem), for artificial Earth satellites, and for extended bodies (which includes the problem of Earth and lunar rotation). Perturbation theory is outlined in an elementary way from generally known mathematical principles without making use of the advanced tools of analytical mechanics. The variational equations associated with orbital motion - of fundamental importance for parameter estimation (e.g., orbit determination), numerical error propagation, and stability considerations - are introduced and their properties discussed in considerable detail. Numerical methods, especially for orbit determination  and orbit improvement, are discussed in considerable depth. The algorithms may be easily applied to objects of the planetary system and to Earth satellites and space debris.

Review

From the reviews:

"The new textbook ... has a considerable broader scope than the title may suggest. Apart from the topics of classical celestial mechanics, it also covers several topics benefiting from, or related to, the celestial mechanics ... . is intended equally to students, researchers and ‘practitioners’ ... . In most cases the book is well cross-referenced ... . It includes a broad, well balanced and up to date bibliography ... . highly recommended and should form a valuable addition to the essential book collection ... ." (Jan Kouba, Studia Geophysica et Geodaetica, Vol. 49, 2005)

Edition details

• Publisher: Springer
• Publication date: 2009
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 3642105297
• ISBN 13: 9783642105296
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 464