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Updated: Aug 15, 2026

Magnetically Induced Rotating Rayleigh-Taylor Instability
Published on: March 3, 2017
Chaos in spacecraft attitude motion in Earth's magnetic field
V. V. Beletsky1, R. V. F. Lopes, M. L. Pivovarov
1Keldysh Institute of Applied Mathematics, 4 Miusskaya, 125047 Moscow, Russia.
Abstract:
The rotational motion of a satellite with a magnetic stabilization system is discussed. The motion is described by a nonautonomous differential equation, with the magnetic moment of the satellite as a parameter. The global phase portrait of the problem is investigated in a wide range of magnetic-parameter values, using a numerical realization of the method of Poincare point maps. New periodic solutions of the problem are found, and an analysis is carried out of the evolution of the phase portrait and the bifurcation of periodic solutions with varying magnetic-parameter values. The values of the magnetic parameter that must be avoided in the design of the satellite magnetic stabilization system are discussed. (c) 1999 American Institute of Physics.
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