Computational Physics Simulation: Two-Body Problem

Overview

This project simulates the motion of two celestial bodies interacting under the influence of gravity using numerical integration. Specifically, it employs the Runge-Kutta method to solve the two-body problem, a core issue in celestial mechanics where analytical solutions are often impractical. Numerical methods are used for accurate simulations of such systems.

Components

The project is divided into several components, implemented in both C and Python:

1. Model

• C Implementation: A C structure to store data such as positions, velocities, mass ratio, and eccentricity.
• Python Implementation: A Python class TwoBodyModel to manage the same data.

2. Controller

• C Implementation: A C structure and functions to handle parameters (eccentricity, mass ratio) and perform simulations using Euler’s method or the fourth-order Runge-Kutta method.
• Python Implementation: A Python class TwoBodyController with methods to perform the simulation.

3. Application

• Command-Line Interface: Allows users to specify simulation parameters (total time T, time step t, mass ratio, eccentricity, and simulation method). Results are saved in a file named AnalysisResult.txt.

4. Animation

• Python Script: plot_simulation.py uses Tkinter to visualize simulation results interactively. It reads from AnalysisResult.txt and displays the motion of the celestial bodies.

Setup

Prerequisites

• C Compiler: Ensure you have a C compiler (e.g., GCC).
• Python: Version 3.x with Tkinter library.