Date: 7/01/2016 20:09:16
From: Postpocelipse
ID: 827369
Subject: Calculating the acceleration of gravity

Can the speed a particle must acquire to maintain a stable orbit around a massive body correlate to the rate of acceleration for that body and if so how?

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Date: 7/01/2016 20:15:40
From: dv
ID: 827370
Subject: re: Calculating the acceleration of gravity

Postpocelipse said:


Can the speed a particle must acquire to maintain a stable orbit around a massive body correlate to the rate of acceleration for that body and if so how?

The circular orbital speed and the gravitational acceleration will both depend on altitude.

The acceleration = GM/r^2
Circular orbital speed = sqrt (GM/r)

Where M is the mass of the primary and r is the distance from the centre of the primary to the orbit.

So there is no way to work out v from a, or vice versa. You need more information (for instance, M or r).

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Date: 7/01/2016 20:16:48
From: Postpocelipse
ID: 827371
Subject: re: Calculating the acceleration of gravity

dv said:


Postpocelipse said:

Can the speed a particle must acquire to maintain a stable orbit around a massive body correlate to the rate of acceleration for that body and if so how?

The circular orbital speed and the gravitational acceleration will both depend on altitude.

The acceleration = GM/r^2
Circular orbital speed = sqrt (GM/r)

Where M is the mass of the primary and r is the distance from the centre of the primary to the orbit.

So there is no way to work out v from a, or vice versa. You need more information (for instance, M or r).

Okey doke.

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Date: 8/01/2016 00:19:34
From: mollwollfumble
ID: 827492
Subject: re: Calculating the acceleration of gravity

dv said:


Postpocelipse said:

Can the speed a particle must acquire to maintain a stable orbit around a massive body correlate to the rate of acceleration for that body and if so how?

The circular orbital speed and the gravitational acceleration will both depend on altitude.

The acceleration = GM/r^2
Circular orbital speed = sqrt (GM/r)

Where M is the mass of the primary and r is the distance from the centre of the primary to the orbit.

So there is no way to work out v from a, or vice versa. You need more information (for instance, M or r).

M and minimum r are related by the density of the parent body. If it’s a rocky planet, a gas giant planet, or a main sequence star you could get a good correlation between minimum r, maximum acceleration and maximum orbital speed.

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