A DUMB-BELL SATELLITE WITH A CABIN. EXISTENCE AND STABILITY OF RELATIVE EQUILIBRIA
Alexander Burov, Hans Troger, Vadim Buchin
The problem of motion of a dumb-bell satellite in an orbital plane passing
through the attracting center is considered. It is assumed that the satellite
is equipped with a cabin that is allowed to slide along the straight connection
of the two endbodies.
The structure of the set of stationary configurations depending on the parameter,
which is the position of the cabin, is studied both analytically and
numerically. Especially bifurcation of trivial configurations for which the dumb-bell
is located along the local vertical is considered. It is shown that this bifurcation
is accompanied by the appearance or disappearance of "oblique"
configurations, for which all massive points composing the satellite are not
located at the common vertical.