In: Physics
A spaceship of mass ? is on a circular orbit around a planet of mass ?, and is moving with constant speed ?0.
(a) What is the radius of the orbit of the spaceship?
A sudden explosion tears the spaceship into two pieces of equal mass. Piece 1 leaves the explosion with speed 4?0/5 with its velocity is in the same direction of the velocity of the spaceship before the explosion. As ? ≪ ?, the gravitational attraction between the two parts of the broken spaceship is negligible.
(b) What is the speed of the other part (piece 2)?
(c) What is the maximum value of the angular momentum of piece 2 with respect to the planet’s center during its motion?
(d) How far away from the center of mass of the planet would piece 2 get during its subsequent motion?