Paper 1, Section I, A

Classical Dynamics | Part II, 2012

Consider a heavy symmetric top of mass MM, pinned at point PP, which is a distance ll from the centre of mass.

(a) Working in the body frame (e1,e2,e3)\left(\mathbf{e}_{1}, \mathbf{e}_{2}, \mathbf{e}_{3}\right) (where e3\mathbf{e}_{3} is the symmetry axis of the top) define the Euler angles (ψ,θ,ϕ)(\psi, \theta, \phi) and show that the components of the angular velocity can be expressed in terms of the Euler angles as

ω=(ϕ˙sinθsinψ+θ˙cosψ,ϕ˙sinθcosψθ˙sinψ,ψ˙+ϕ˙cosθ)\boldsymbol{\omega}=(\dot{\phi} \sin \theta \sin \psi+\dot{\theta} \cos \psi, \dot{\phi} \sin \theta \cos \psi-\dot{\theta} \sin \psi, \dot{\psi}+\dot{\phi} \cos \theta)

(b) Write down the Lagrangian of the top in terms of the Euler angles and the principal moments of inertia I1,I3I_{1}, I_{3}.

(c) Find the three constants of motion.

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