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Date: Fri, 20 Feb 1998 10:44:42 -0800
From: Leigh Palmer <palmer@sfu.ca>
Subject: Re: Circular orbits, and other stuff
I have another question for those who teach astronomy. The first
question (how is solar spinning angular momentum transferred to the
revolving planets via magnetic forces?) was not answered. I assume
it is not a simple topic.
It is not a simple topic, but it is sort of a nontopic.
The Sun has negligible angular momentum, so the question is
not really relevant to the solar system.
I do not know anough about tidal dissipation to understand this sentence.
How do elipticities change when the spin of our Sun is being
transferred to planets?
This question has to do with the fact that planetary orbits are
often nearly circular. The same is true for numerous moons and rings.
Kepler's laws would not be violated if eccentricities of planetary
orbits were very large. Why are most orbits nearly circular?
Tidal dissipation is strongest near periapse, and energy lost
near periapse tends to circularize an orbit.