Related papers: How to twirl a hula-hoop
It has long been known to mathematicians and physicists that while a full rotation in three-dimensional Euclidean space causes tangling, two rotations can be untangled. Formally, an untangling is a based nullhomotopy of the double-twist…
The author considers the planar rotational motion of the mathematical pendulum with its pivot oscillating both vertically and horizontally, so the trajectory of the pivot is an ellipse close to a circle. The analysis is based on the exact…
We explore the complex dynamics of a non-coalescing drop of moderate size inside a circular hydraulic jump of the same liquid formed on a horizontal disk. In this situation the drop is moving along the jump and one observes two different…
A complete description of twisting somersaults is given using a reduction to a time-dependent Euler equation for non-rigid body dynamics. The central idea is that after reduction the twisting motion is apparent in a body frame, while the…
The motion of a satellite around a planet can be studied by the Hill model, which is a modification of the restricted three body problem pertaining to motion of a satellite around a planet. Although the dynamics of the circular Hill model…
A small variation of the circular shape of the hodograph theorem states that for every elliptical solution of the two-body problem, it is possible to find an appropriate inertial frame such that the speed of the bodies is constant. We use…
Sufficiently differentiable oval billiards always have invariant rotational curves, but there are only two types of ovals with an invariant horizontal circle in its phase-space: the constant width ovals and some very special symmetric…
We investigate the effects of halo kinematics on the dynamics of stellar discs by simulating the evolution of isolated disc-halo systems from equilibrium initial conditions. Our main results come from four simulations where the initial disc…
The problem of a rigid disk rolling down a ramp is a classic problem given to students in introductory mechanics courses. In contrast, systematic studies on the rolling behavior of an ellipse have only recently emerged. Unlike a rolling…
In this work, we examine the whip dynamics in a freely falling chain. We consider an inextensible chain with free ends in the presence of gravity hanging from a fixed pulley. If the configuration is unbalanced, the chain begins to…
Based on the recent twisting-tensor approach [T. Opatrny, ArXiv:1408.3265 (2014)], a specific scenario for fast and deep spin squeezing is proposed. Initially the state is subjected to one-axis twisting under optimum orientation, enabling…
Due to aerodynamic instabilities, stabilizing flapping flight requires ever-present fast corrective actions. Here we investigate how flies control body roll angle, their most susceptible degree of freedom. We glue a magnet to each fly,…
Spiral waves in active media react to small perturbations as particle-like objects. Here we apply the asymptotic theory to the interaction of spiral waves with a localized inhomogeneity, which leads to a novel prediction: drift of the…
Ball and hoop system is a well-known model for the education of linear control systems. In this paper, we have a look at this system from another perspective and show that it is also suitable for demonstration of more advanced control…
We report an unexpected reverse spiral turn in the final stage of the motion of rolling rings. It is well known that spinning disks rotate in the same direction of their initial spin until they stop. While a spinning ring starts its motion…
A sample of roughly 1,800 halo subdwarf stars with radial velocities and proper motions is assembled, using the repeated multi-band Sloan Digital Sky Survey photometric measurements in Stripe 82. Our sample of halo subdwarfs is extracted…
The motion of a hoop hung on a spinning wire provides an illustrative and pedagogical example of a supercritical bifurcation. Above a certain angular velocity threshold Omega_c, the hoop rises, making an angle theta = (Omega-Omega_c)^(1/2)…
The equations of motion for the rolling and gliding Tippe Top (TT) are nonintegrable and difficult to analyze. The only existing arguments about TT inversion are based on analysis of stability of asymptotic solutions and the LaSalle type…
The Rattleback is a very popular science toy shown to students all over the world to demonstrate the non-triviality of rotational motion. When spun on a horizontal table, this boat-shaped object behaves in a peculiar way. Although the…
Effective equation of motion of a rattleback is obtained from the basic equation of motion with viscous friction depending on slip velocity. This effective equation of motion is used to estimate the number of spin reversals and the…