Plotting a Trajectory using Euler's Method

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I'm solving the system of ODEs given by
R' = U
U' = Lz^2/R^2 +GM/R^2
using Euler's method. This is no problem, I have a functioning code given by
function euler
Tsim = 10; % simulate over Tsim seconds
h = 0.01; % step size
N = Tsim/h; % number of steps to simulate
x = zeros(2,N);
t = zeros(1,N);
G = 6.67*power(10,-11);
M = 100;
Lz = 20004444444;
R_1 = 10000;
U_1 = 20000;
x(1,1) = U_1; %IC_ODE_1
x(2,1) = (G*M/(power(R_1,2))+power(Lz,2)/(power(R_1,3))); %IC_ODE_2
for k=1:N-1
t(k+1)= t(k) + h;
x(:,k+1) = x(:,k) + h* Orbit(t(k),x(:,k));
end
%Compare with ode45
x0 = [1000;0];
[T,Y] = ode45(@Orbit,[0 Tsim],x0);
plot(t,x(1,:)) %Results from Euler algorithm
hold on
plot(T,Y(:,1),'^') %Results from ode45
legend('Euler','ode45')
end
function dx= Orbit(t,R)
G = 6.67*power(10,-11);
M = 100;
Lz = 200;
% Equations of motion
dx = zeros(2,1);
dx(1)=R(2);
dx(2)= (G*M/(power(R(1),2))+power(Lz,2)/(power(R(1),3)));
end
This generates plots fine. I want to plot the trajectory however. To do this, I need to be able to generate a value for two new variables. Labelling these by xvar and yvar, I essentially want to use the result of the Euler method code (which gives me a radius at time t) to give me trajectory in polar coordinates. Thus I require something like
theta(:,k+1) = theta(:,k) + h*Angle(t(k),theta(:,k));
xvar(:,k+1) = x(:,k+1)*cos(theta(:,k+1));
yvar(:,k+1) = x(:,k+1)*sin(theta(:,k+1));
Where theta is given by the ODE dtheta/dt = Lz^2/R^2. Therefore, I'm assuming I require something like this
function da = Angle(t,R)
Lz = 200;
da = Lz/(power(R(1),2))
end
But theta is given in terms of only one ODE, the one above, but that R(1) is obtained from solving the system above. I just want to be able to plot xvar against yvar with theta varying as it should.

Answers (1)

Swathik Kurella Janardhan
Swathik Kurella Janardhan on 16 Aug 2016
You can calculate the initial theta(:,k) for an initial value of k by ODE
dtheta/dt = Lz^2/R^2
and then use this value for further calculations of theta(:,k+1) by
theta(:,k+1) = theta(:,k) + h*Angle(t(k),theta(:,k));

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