Freaky motion of a spinning spheroid induced by a slight break of its axial symmetry

Abstract eng:
The Euler equations are derived for spinning spheroids whose mass distribution slightly loses the axial symmetry. Based on the obtained equations, the motion of a spheroid spinning on a flat surface is studied by numerical simulations, and it is found that a significant nutation is induced with a precession and it generates a beat, both by the slight break of its axial symmetry. As the initial spin rate increases, the period of nutation becomes smaller while its amplitude does larger.

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