University:
Widener University
Course:
ESSC 103 | Intriduction To Earth Science
Academic year:

2023
Views:

171

Pages:

1
Author:

geldjiem6t

Motion on an Ellipsoid Consider a particle moving on a rotating ellipsoid (x2+y2)/E+E*z2 = a2 where E is the ratio of the major to minor axis. For a planet of "radius" a, rotating with angular frequency Omega and having gravitational attraction g, we have E2 = [1-Omega2 a/g]-1 You can specify the properties of the planet, the initial conditions of the particle, and the forces acting upon it. The display shows the movement of the particle in intertial space (and of the prime meridian), the position in latitude and longitude, and the position projected onto the equatorial plane looking down from the north pole. The latter two displays (on the right side of the figure) are in the rotating system.