Pedal coordinates, solar sail orbits, dipole drive and other force problems (Q2236005)

For a plane curve \(C\) and a given fixed point \(O\), the pedal equation of the curve is a relation between \(r\) and \(p\) where \(r\) is the distance from \(O\) to a point on \(C\) and \(p\) is the perpendicular distance from \(O\) to the tangent line to \(C\) at the point. The point $O$ is called the pedal point and the values $r$ and $p$ are sometimes called the pedal coordinates of a point relative to the curve and the pedal point. Some curves have particularly simple pedal equations and knowing the pedal equation of a curve may simplify the calculation of certain of its properties such as curvature. Providing a natural framework, the pedal coordinates are well suited for solving certain type of force problems in the plane classical mechanics and celestial mechanics. Under the influence of central and Lorentz-like forces, a trajectory of a test particle can be translated into pedal coordinates at once without the need of solving any differential equation. In the paper, this result is generalized to cover more general force laws and it is also shown the advantage of pedal coordinates in certain variational problems. Any solution of different dynamical systems is presented in pedal coordinates. Another main result is that using pedal coordinates some problems from the calculus of variation can be easily solved. In this way, it is possible many dynamical systems to be connected together with problems of the calculus of variation. The obtained results are applied to compute orbits of Solar sail and Dipole drive.