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An ariticial satellite (mass =M) of eart...

An ariticial satellite (mass `=M`) of earth revolves in a circular orbit whose radius is `4` times the radius of the earth. Assume that in the spherical region between the radius `4R_(e )` and `2R_(e )` there is cosmic dust. If mass of the satellite is increasing at the rate of `u` per sec. Find the time in which satellite will come to orbit of radius `2R_(e )`.

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To solve the problem, we need to determine the time it takes for an artificial satellite, which is initially in a circular orbit at a radius of \(4R_e\) (where \(R_e\) is the radius of the Earth), to come down to an orbit at a radius of \(2R_e\). The mass of the satellite is increasing at a rate of \(u\) kg/s due to cosmic dust. ### Step-by-Step Solution: 1. **Identify the Initial and Final Radii:** - Initial radius \(R_i = 4R_e\) - Final radius \(R_f = 2R_e\) 2. **Determine the Gravitational Force:** The gravitational force acting on the satellite at a distance \(R\) from the center of the Earth is given by: \[ F = \frac{GMm}{R^2} \] where \(M\) is the mass of the Earth and \(m\) is the mass of the satellite. 3. **Centripetal Force Requirement:** For the satellite to remain in a circular orbit, the gravitational force must equal the centripetal force required for circular motion: \[ \frac{GMm}{R^2} = \frac{mv^2}{R} \] Simplifying this gives: \[ v^2 = \frac{GM}{R} \] 4. **Change in Mass of the Satellite:** The mass of the satellite is increasing at a rate of \(u\) kg/s. Therefore, if \(t\) is the time taken, the mass of the satellite at time \(t\) will be: \[ m(t) = m_0 + ut \] where \(m_0\) is the initial mass of the satellite. 5. **Velocity at Different Radii:** - At \(R_i = 4R_e\): \[ v_i = \sqrt{\frac{GM}{4R_e}} = \frac{1}{2}\sqrt{\frac{GM}{R_e}} \] - At \(R_f = 2R_e\): \[ v_f = \sqrt{\frac{GM}{2R_e}} = \sqrt{2}\sqrt{\frac{GM}{R_e}} \] 6. **Using Energy Conservation:** As the satellite's mass is increasing, we cannot directly use energy conservation. Instead, we consider the change in velocity as the satellite descends from \(4R_e\) to \(2R_e\). 7. **Relating Velocity and Time:** The change in velocity can be related to the time taken to descend. The average velocity during the descent can be approximated as: \[ v_{avg} = \frac{v_i + v_f}{2} \] The time taken \(t\) to descend can be expressed as: \[ t = \frac{\Delta R}{v_{avg}} \] where \(\Delta R = R_i - R_f = 4R_e - 2R_e = 2R_e\). 8. **Calculating the Average Velocity:** \[ v_{avg} = \frac{\frac{1}{2}\sqrt{\frac{GM}{R_e}} + \sqrt{2}\sqrt{\frac{GM}{R_e}}}{2} \] Simplifying gives: \[ v_{avg} = \frac{(1/2 + \sqrt{2})\sqrt{\frac{GM}{R_e}}}{2} \] 9. **Final Time Calculation:** Substitute \(v_{avg}\) into the time equation: \[ t = \frac{2R_e}{v_{avg}} = \frac{2R_e \cdot 2}{(1/2 + \sqrt{2})\sqrt{\frac{GM}{R_e}}} \] This simplifies to: \[ t = \frac{4R_e}{(1/2 + \sqrt{2})\sqrt{\frac{GM}{R_e}}} \] ### Final Answer: The time taken for the satellite to come down to an orbit of radius \(2R_e\) is given by: \[ t = \frac{4R_e}{(1/2 + \sqrt{2})\sqrt{\frac{GM}{R_e}}} \]
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