Levitating Orbitron: Grid Computing

Abstract

Mathematical model of interaction for magnetic symmetric top (i.e. a rigid body and magnetic dipole simultaneously) in external magnetic field under uniform gravitational field is presented. Numerical modeling of the top dynamics, i.e. spinning and rotating around the axis of symmetry in axially-symmetric magnetic field is proposed. Investigation of the dynamics in some neighborhood of a given relative equilibrium for physically reasonable parameters of the system was required to generate a set of random trajectories (Monte-Carlo simulation) with small variations of parameters or initial conditions. More than 1000 of trajectories with 100 turns for each have been tested using grid computing on Grid-clusters of Ukrainian Academic Grid. The motion was limited in certain region for the trajectories with disturbed initial conditions and parameters within 1%. Executed analysis shows the possibility of stable motions and levitation in some neighborhood of a given relative equilibrium. It corresponds to the long trajectories observed in a physical experiment.