The figure shows the Sun located at the origin and Earth at the point (1, 0).
(The unit here is the distance between the centers of Earth and the Sun, called an astronomical unit: 1 AU ≈ 1.496 X 108 km.) There are five locations L1, L2, L3, L4, and in this plane of rotation of Earth about the Sun where a satellite remains motionless with respect to Earth because the forces acting on the satellite (including the gravitational attractions of Earth and the Sun) balance each other. These locations are called liberation points. (A solar research satellite has been placed at one of these liberation points.)
If m1 is the mass of the Sun, m2 is the mass of Earth, and r = m2 / (m1 + m2), it turns out that the -coordinate of L1 is the unique root of the fifth-degree equation and the x-coordinate of L2 is the root of the equation p(x) €“ 2rx2 = 0.
Using the value r ≈ 3.04046 x 10-6, find the locations of the liberation points
(a) L1 and
(b) L2.

Transcribed Image Text:

p(x) = x* - (2 + r)x* + (1 + 2r)x – (1 – r)x? + 2(1 – r)x + r- 1 = 0 y. L. Earth Sun L5 L3 L,