3.I.9C
A particle of mass is constrained to move in the horizontal plane, around a circle of fixed radius whose centre is at the origin of a Cartesian coordinate system . A second particle of mass is constrained to move around a circle of fixed radius that also lies in a horizontal plane, but whose centre is at . It is given that the Lagrangian of the system can be written as
using the particles' cylindrical polar angles and as generalized coordinates. Deduce the equations of motion and use them to show that is constant, and that obeys an equation of the form
where is a constant to be determined.
Find two values of corresponding to equilibria, and show that one of the two equilibria is stable. Find the period of small oscillations about the stable equilibrium.