Chaotic motion of a passive space object during its contactless transportation by ion beam

Abstract

Contactless transportation of passive objects by an active spacecraft is a promising direction in modern space technology. The study considers plane motion of a passive space object of a cylindrical shape relative its center of mass under the influence of an ion beam created by the active spacecraft’s electrodynamic engine. The aim of the work is to study the passive object attitude dynamics during its ion beam transportation. A mathematical model describing the motion of the mechanical system was obtained using the second-order Lagrange equations. A simplified equation describing the perturbed motion of the object in an elliptical orbit was obtained. Bifurcation diagrams showing the influence of the orbit height and the position of the object’s center of mass on the type and position of the equilibrium points were constructed. Using the Poincare sections and the spectrum of Lyapunov exponents, it was shown that a chaotic layer exists in the vicinity of the separatrices of the unperturbed system. The chaos can lead to the transition of the object from the oscillation mode to the rotation mode, which will affect the magnitude of the ion forces imparted by the ion beam to the object, and the duration of the transportation mission.