We study the classical dynamics of two bodies, a massive line segment or slash (/) and a massive point or dot (.), interacting gravitationally. For this slash-dot (/.) body problem, we derive algebraic expressions for the force and torque on the slash, which greatly facilitate analysis. The diverse dynamics include a stable synchronous orbit, generic chaotic orbits, sequences of unstable periodic orbits, spin-stabilized orbits, and spin-orbit coupling that can unbind the slash and dot. The extension of the slash provides an extra degree of freedom that enables the interplay between rotation and revolution. In this way, the slash-dot body problem exhibits some of the richness of the three body problem with only two bodies and serves as a valuable prototype for more realistic systems. Applications include the dynamics of asteroid-moonlet pairs and asteroid rotation and escape rates.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.