The Approach of Two Bodies Separated by a Perfectly Elastic Particle

摘要

A variation on the familiar one-dimensional elastic collision problem is considered, in which the two approaching masses are separated by a small, perfectly elastic particle. The back-and-forth motion of the trapped particle mediates the collision of the two masses, and reverses their relative motion short of actual contact. The calculation of the distance of closest approach, and of the total number of particle encounters required to turn the masses around, can be used to illustrate several basic mathematical techniques. (Author)