Milankovitch equations with spinors
Abstract
We investigate the use of spinors to describe the secular evolution of quasi-Keplerian systems. Evaluating their Poisson brackets, we show that the components of a properly chosen spinor are canonical variables. We illustrate this formalism using the classical problems of the orbital motion about an oblate planet and the Kozai-Lidov mechanism. Although the present formalism breaks down for circular or radial orbits, it may be of some practical utility in numerical recipes.
- Publication:
-
Celestial Mechanics and Dynamical Astronomy
- Pub Date:
- October 2023
- DOI:
- 10.1007/s10569-023-10162-3
- arXiv:
- arXiv:2212.05929
- Bibcode:
- 2023CeMDA.135...47D
- Keywords:
-
- Milankovitch equations;
- Spinors;
- Secular dynamics;
- Physics - Classical Physics;
- Astrophysics - Earth and Planetary Astrophysics;
- Astrophysics - Astrophysics of Galaxies
- E-Print:
- 12 pages, no figures