A study of the relative velocities of small particles that are orbiting the earth

• Autor(a) principal: Celestino, Claudia C.
• Data de Publicação: 2008
• Outros Autores: Winter, Othon C. [UNESP], De A. Prado, Antonio F.B.
• Tipo de documento: Artigo de conferência
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Institucional da UNESP
• Texto Completo: http://hdl.handle.net/11449/70848
• topic: Circular orbits; Impact velocities; Oblateness; Relative velocities; Semi-major axis; Small particles; Solar radiation pressures; Orbits; Probability density function; Space flight; Sun; Velocity; Mechanics

The evolution of the velocity of the particles with respect to the circular orbits of satellites that are around the Earth that the particles will cross, suggests a range of possible velocities of impact as a function of the altitude of the satellite. A study made from those results show that the maximum relative velocities occur at the semi-latus rectum, independent of the initial semi-major axis of the particle. Considering both the solar radiation pressure and the oblateness of the Earth, it is visible that a precession in the orbit occurs and there is also a variation in the eccentricity of the particle as a function of its orbital region and its size. This is important information, because the damage caused in a spacecraft depends on the impact velocity.