𝑟

𝑘
Yukawa potential (modified 𝑈) 𝑈 = − 𝑒 −𝛼
𝑟

Q(a)
𝑟
𝑘 − 𝑘
Find 𝑟𝑚𝑖𝑛 and 𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑥 for Earth when 𝑈 = − 𝑒 𝛼 rather than 𝑈 = − but 𝜖𝑡𝑜𝑡 and ℎ are the
𝑟 𝑟
same.
Note modified quantities are labelled 𝑟′ , 𝑣′ , etc. for the case of 𝑈′ (modified 𝑈)
For original 𝑈, 𝑟𝑚𝑖𝑛 = 1.4 × 1011 m and 𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑥 = 1.6 × 1011 m (exaggerated numbers).

𝐸 ′ 𝑡𝑜𝑡 𝜇
𝜖 ′ 𝑡𝑜𝑡 = = 𝜖 ′ 𝑘 + 𝜖 ′ 𝑝 = 𝜖𝑡𝑜𝑡 = −
𝑚 𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑥 +𝑟𝑚𝑖𝑛

𝑟′
1 2 𝜇 − 𝜇
⇒ 𝑣′ − 𝑒 𝛼 =− = −4.4222 × 108 (1)
2 𝑟′ 𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑥 +𝑟𝑚𝑖𝑛

2 1
𝑣𝑚𝑖𝑛 2 = 𝜇 ( − ) = 317932
2 1 𝑟𝑚𝑖𝑛 𝑎
𝑣2 = 𝜇 ( − ) ⇒ { 2 1
𝑟 𝑎
𝑣𝑚𝑎𝑥 2 = 𝜇 ( − ) = 278192
𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑥 𝑎

𝐿′
ℎ′ = = ℎ = √𝜇𝑎(1 − 𝑒 2 ) = √𝜇𝑙
𝑚

⇒ 𝑣′⊥ 𝑟′ = 𝑣′𝑟′ cos 𝜙 ′ = √𝜇𝑙 = 4.451 × 1015

⇒ 𝑣′𝑚𝑖𝑛 𝑟′𝑚𝑖𝑛 = 𝑣′𝑚𝑎𝑥 𝑟′𝑚𝑎𝑥 = 4.451 × 1015 (2)

2 𝑟′
𝑣 ′ 𝑟 ′2 𝜇 −
From (1) − 𝑒 𝛼 − 𝜖𝑡𝑜𝑡 = 0
2𝑟 ′2 𝑟′
𝑟′
ℎ2 𝜇 −
Using (2) − 𝑒 𝛼 − 𝜖𝑡𝑜𝑡 = 0 where 𝑟′ is either 𝑟′𝑚𝑖𝑛 or 𝑟′𝑚𝑎𝑥
2𝑟 ′2 𝑟′
𝑟′
′2 ′ − ℎ2
⇒ 𝑟 𝜖𝑡𝑜𝑡 + 𝑟 𝜇𝑒 𝛼 − =0
2
𝑟′
Since 𝛼 ≫ 𝑟 ′, 𝑒 − 𝛼 ≈ 1 − 𝜆 where 𝜆 is a small positive number. We use a first-order Taylor
approximation around 0:
0 𝑟′
′2 ′ − 𝑑 − ℎ2
𝑟 𝜖𝑡𝑜𝑡 + 𝑟 𝜇 [𝑒 𝛼 +| ′
𝑒 𝛼 | (𝑟 ′ − 0)] − =0
𝑑𝑟 2
𝑟 ′ =0

𝑟′
′2 ′ ′ 𝑑 − 𝑑 𝑟′ ℎ2
⇒ 𝑟 𝜖𝑡𝑜𝑡 + 𝑟 𝜇 [1 + 𝑟 | 𝑟′
𝑒 𝛼 (− 𝛼 )| ]− =0
𝑑− 𝑑𝑟 ′ 2
𝛼 𝑟 ′ =0
 𝑟′
′2 ′ ′ − 1 ℎ2
⇒ 𝑟 𝜖𝑡𝑜𝑡 + 𝑟 𝜇 [1 + 𝑟 |𝑒 𝛼 (− 𝛼)| ]− =0
2
𝑟 ′ =0
𝑟′ ℎ2
⇒ 𝑟 ′2 𝜖𝑡𝑜𝑡 + 𝑟 ′ 𝜇 [1 − ] − =0
𝛼 2

2𝜇 ℎ2
⇒ 𝑟 ′2 𝜖𝑡𝑜𝑡 + 𝑟 ′ 𝜇 − 𝑟 ′ − =0
𝛼 2
𝜇 ℎ2
⇒ 𝑟 ′2 (𝜖𝑡𝑜𝑡 − ) + 𝑟 ′ 𝜇 − =0
𝛼 2

2 𝜇 ℎ2
Now we have a quadratic 𝐴𝑟 ′ + 𝐵𝑟 ′ + 𝐶 with 𝐴 = 𝜖𝑡𝑜𝑡 − , 𝐵 = 𝜇, 𝐶 = −
𝛼 2

𝜇 −𝜇±√𝜇2 +2𝜖ℎ2
Using 𝜖 = 𝜖𝑡𝑜𝑡 − 𝑟′ = = (1.402 × 1011 , 1.597 × 1011 ) (3)
𝛼 2𝜖

Q(b)
Find e for both the regular and modified gravitational potential above.
I.e. use 𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑥 and 𝑟𝑚𝑖𝑛 (aphelion and perihelion) calculated for each case to find a and b and
then plug in to eccentricity formula to find e.
𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑥 −𝑟𝑚𝑖𝑛 𝑟′𝑚𝑎𝑥 −𝑟′𝑚𝑖𝑛
𝑒= = 0.0667, 𝑒′ = = 0.0652
𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑥 +𝑟𝑚𝑖𝑛 𝑟′𝑚𝑎𝑥 +𝑟′𝑚𝑖𝑛

Q(c)
Find 𝑒 ′ − 𝑒 in terms of 𝛼 (from the modified potential) and 𝑙 (the semi-latus rectum).

𝑏2 𝑏2 𝑙 𝑙′
𝑒 = √1 − 2
and 𝑙 = ⇒ 𝑒 = √1 − and likewise 𝑒′ = √1 − but also 𝑙 = 𝑙′.
𝑎 𝑎 𝑎 𝑎′

𝑙 𝑙
⇒ 𝑒 ′ − 𝑒 = √1 − − √1 −
𝑎′ 𝑎

𝑟′𝑚𝑎𝑥 +𝑟′𝑚𝑖𝑛 (−𝜇−√𝜇2 +2𝜖ℎ2 )+(−𝜇+√𝜇2 +2𝜖ℎ2 ) −2𝜇 𝜇

Using (3) 𝑎′ = = = =−
2 4𝜖 4𝜖 2𝜖
𝜇 𝜇 𝜇
Since 𝜖 = 𝜖𝑡𝑜𝑡 − and 𝜖𝑡𝑜𝑡 = − =−
𝛼 𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑥 +𝑟𝑚𝑖𝑛 2𝑎
𝜇 𝛼𝜇 𝛼𝑎
𝑎′ = − 𝜇 =− =
2(𝜖𝑡𝑜𝑡 −𝛼) 2(𝛼𝜖𝑡𝑜𝑡 −𝜇) 𝛼+2𝑎

𝑙 𝑙 𝑙 𝛼+2𝑎 𝑙 𝑙 2𝑙 𝑙
⇒ 𝑒 ′ − 𝑒 = √1 − 𝛼𝑎 − √1 − = √1 − − √1 − = √1 − − − √1 −
𝑎 𝑎 𝛼 𝑎 𝑎 𝛼 𝑎
𝛼+2𝑎

𝑙
Since 𝛼 ≫ 𝑙, ≈ 𝜆 where 𝜆 is a small positive number. We use a first-order Taylor
𝛼
approximation around 0:
 𝑙 2𝑙 𝑙 𝑑 𝑙 2𝑙 𝑙 𝑙
𝑒 ′ − 𝑒 ≈ (√1 − − − √1 − )| + (√1 − − − √1 − )| ( − 0)
𝑎 𝛼 𝑎 𝑙 𝑎 𝛼 𝑎 𝛼
𝑙 𝑑 𝑙
𝛼
=0 𝛼 𝛼
=0

𝑙 𝑙 1𝑑 𝑙 2𝑙 𝑙
= √1 − − √1 − + (1 − − )| −0
𝑎 𝑎 𝑙 𝑙 𝑎 𝛼 𝛼
2√1 − 𝑑 𝛼 𝑙
( 𝑎 𝛼
=0
)

−2 𝑙 1 𝑙 𝑙
= =− =−
𝛼 𝛼 𝑒𝛼
2 √1 − 𝑙 √1 − 𝑙
( 𝑎) 𝑎