.I am using a mathematical model to demonstrate this (ellipses in polar coordinates).What I am worried about is that I am using some concepts of physics as well i.e. Kepler%26#039;s laws, Einstien%26#039;s mass energy equation, Kinetic energy and the law of gravitation. Is this okay or should I change my topic? Sorry about the typo in my last question|||It may eventually run into one of the planets, otherwise it will keep going. The volatile ices will sublimate off after several more centuries, leaving just a %26quot;rock%26quot;.|||Not at all... all physics concepts have mathematical proofs. As long as you provide them with the essay then it should be completely relevant.|||Well, the problem is not only the when, but also the how? What mechanism should cause it to end it%26#039;s travel?
|||Well when the sun explodes|||As long as both maintain roughly the same mass they have now, Kepler, Einstein, Newton, and the rest are very valid points. The orbit will be indefinite. Of course, Halley is constantly shedding small percentages of its mass every orbit (this is why we see a tail, the solar wind it pulling particles off of the comet) and the sun will eventually swell to Red Gaint status (in about 4.5 - 5.0 billion years) and gradually sheds some mass. I think when the sun is in the red giant stage, Halleys orbit (at perihelion) would bring it inside of the sun... bringing its orbit (and life) to a halt. If its perihelion keeps it far away enough from the sun (which I don%26#039;t think is the case, if memory of it%26#039;s orbit vs. the volume of the sun at that point in time) it will still maintain the same orbit.
Even after the sun ends it%26#039;s life in supernova fashion, and leaves behind asmall white dwarf, Halley and the remnants of the sun would still have a great enough gravitational bond to keep Halley in orbit... but like I said, I don%26#039;t think this will be the case, because of those creepy %26quot;Red Giant Years%26quot;
We also haven%26#039;t considered pertrubations. It%26#039;s possible one of the gas giants could come close enough to Halley to alter its orbit. Think of Comet Encke... Jupiter manipulated that comets orbit enough to give it a low eccentricity, and a short (33 year) period, entirely beyond the asteriod belt, and nowhere near the Kuiper Belt.
