Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 28, 2025

Three-dimensional Particle Tracking Velocimetry for Turbulence Applications: Case of a Jet Flow
Published on: February 27, 2016
Top on a smooth plane
Maria Przybylska1, Andrzej J Maciejewski2
1Institute of Physics, University of Zielona Góra, Licealna 9, 65-417 Zielona Góra, Poland.
Abstract:
We investigate the dynamics of a sliding top that is a rigid body with an ideal sharp tip moving in a perfectly smooth horizontal plane, so no friction forces act on the body. We prove that this system is integrable only in two cases analogous to the Euler and Lagrange cases of the classical top problem. The cases with the constant gravity field with acceleration g≠0 and without external field g=0 are considered. The non-integrability proof for g≠0 is based on the fact that the equations of motion for the sliding top are a perturbation of the classical top equations of motion. We show that the integrability of the classical top is a necessary condition for the integrability of the sliding top. Among four integrable classical top cases, the corresponding two cases for the sliding top are also integrable, and for the two remaining cases, we prove their non-integrability by analyzing the differential Galois group of variational equations along a certain particular solution. In the absence of a constant gravitational field g=0, the integrability is much more difficult. First, we proved that if the sliding top problem is integrable, then the body is symmetric. In the proof, we applied the Ziglin theorem concerning the splitting of separatrices phenomenon. Then, we prove the non-integrability of the symmetric sliding top using the differential Galois group of variational equations except two the same as for g≠0 cases. The integrability of these cases is also preserved when we add to equations of motion a gyrostatic term.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Equation of Motion: General Plane motion
Moreover, the body's center of mass experiences a rotational effect as a result of these couple moments. This rotation can be articulated as the...
Dynamics of Circular Motion
Any acceleration must be produced by some force. Therefore, any force or combination of forces can cause centripetal acceleration. A few examples include the tension in the rope on a...
Dynamics Of Circular Motion: Applications
Planar Rigid-Body Motion
Planar motion is typically divided into three distinct categories. The first is rectilinear translation, demonstrated by a subway train that moves along...
Equation of Motion: General Plane motion - Problem Solving
The friction between the roller and the ground is characterized by two coefficients. The static friction coefficient is 0.15, while the kinetic friction coefficient is 0.1. These values are crucial in understanding the interaction between...
Plane Potential Flows
Uniform...

