Bjarne Posted August 10, 2013 Posted August 10, 2013 (edited) How can I understand? "Speed increment at infinity" "Infinity" seems to be a speed measurement point, - by space probe trajectories, - but where is "infinity" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flyby_anomaly Edited August 10, 2013 by Bjarne
Bjarne Posted August 11, 2013 Author Posted August 11, 2013 On 8/10/2013 at 7:43 PM, zorro said: Infinitesimal increment. What do you mean ?
Klaynos Posted August 11, 2013 Posted August 11, 2013 What do you mean ? Infinitesimal means infinitely small a value that approaches 0.
swansont Posted August 11, 2013 Posted August 11, 2013 Since it's paired with speed at perigee, I would think it either means the speed increment far away from the earth, where the earth's influence can be ignored, or the asymptotic speed when it's far enough away that the sun can be ignored.
Bjarne Posted August 11, 2013 Author Posted August 11, 2013 Infinitesimal means infinitely small a value that approaches 0. But what have this with the question to do Repeat... How can I understand "Speed increment at infinity" "Infinity" seems to be a speed measurement point, - by space probe trajectories, - but where is "infinity" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flyby_anomaly
Klaynos Posted August 11, 2013 Posted August 11, 2013 But what have this with the question to do Repeat... How can I understand "Speed increment at infinity" "Infinity" seems to be a speed measurement point, - by space probe trajectories, - but where is "infinity" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flyby_anomaly I think Swansont's answer is the best one for that.
timo Posted August 11, 2013 Posted August 11, 2013 (edited) Swansont's answer is exactly what I would imagine the term to mean. But as the response to it shows, this is not clarifying the confusion about it. So let me try to explain: The process in question is the gravitational interaction of two bodies deflecting each others' path (with the effect on earth probably being ignored for being tiny). Of interest are the values before and after the process, i.e. the total effect. The semantic problem one encounters is that strictly speaking gravity has an infinite range, so the deflection process never starts nor ends. So for pedants (like the average Wikipedia author ) the value of interest is the value's limit as the process approaches an infinite distance between the two bodies. Or in short-hand: The value at infinity (although a proper pedant like me would cry foul over phrasing it like this ). In practice, it is the value at a point where the process can be considered as having finished. Or to put it into Swansont's words: A point "where the earth's influence can be ignored". Edited August 11, 2013 by timo 1
Bjarne Posted August 12, 2013 Author Posted August 12, 2013 http://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/66986/finite-velocity-at-infinite-distance
Airbrush Posted August 12, 2013 Posted August 12, 2013 I think it is a little like a camera focusing on "infinity". It is just far enough away.
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now