Satelite eccentricity

Steve Willner wrote:
In article ,
"George Dishman" writes:
Isn't it the case that if the rotational period is
less than the orbital, the [tidal] bulge will be carried
forward of the satellite as you say next?
...
Hence the nearer one dominates. If the bulge is ahead
that would accelerate the satellite, as Earth does to
the Moon, hence by your argument tending to reduce the
eccentricity.

No. Tat would accelerate the satelite. Accelerate it more a perigee
than at apogee. But an acceleration at one point in the orbit does not
affect that LOCATION in the orbit; it afects most teh location half way
around an orbit.

This looks correct to me, though I'm no expert. As far as I can
tell, the force on the satellite is proportional to its mass; hence
_acceleration_ of the satellite is independent of satellite mass,
though it depends strongly on distance from the primary.

The force on the satelite is proportional to the mass of the bulge
(times the mass of the satelite). So the acceleration is proportional
to the mass of the bulge. But that is proportional to the mass of the
satelite.

Sorry about this.

I challenged a statement before I had read the entire thread. The
person I challenged had already corrected his statement.


Frank wrote:


No. That would accelerate the satelite. Accelerate it more a perigee
than at apogee. But an acceleration at one point in the orbit does not
affect that LOCATION in the orbit; it afects most the location half way
around an orbit.