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Reference Frames

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Abstract

To delineate the general trajectory of a body mathematically or graphically one needs an observational space reference frame. In physics a reference frame is meant to be a concrete realization of a conceptional reference system with a choice of a coordinate system—meaning: a system of coordinates, such as rectangular (Cartesian), polar, or cylindrical coordinates, adapted to the symmetry of the problem—having a specific origin and orientation. (Note that “reference frame” and “coordinate system” are used in the literature almost synonymously.)

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Change history

  • 31 October 2019

    In the original version of the book, the following belated corrections are to be incorporated.

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Correspondence to Ulrich Walter .

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Walter, U. (2018). Reference Frames. In: Astronautics. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-74373-8_13

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-74373-8_13

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-74372-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-74373-8

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