Gravitation Simulator

[Qwerkey]

This is a gravitation simulator, using Newtonian mechanics.  It is an update of a previous v0.954 program but now combined with InForm.  (The previous version cannot now be accessed as The Galleon has sailed off into the sunset!).  The use of InForm has greatly enhanced the look and usability of the program.

You will need the User Manual to download the program.  The screenshot shows a simulation of the Solar System where Pluto has nearly completed one revolution.

Richard

[User Manual replaced 08/06/19, 05/04/19]

 

[FellippeHeitor]

Great job there, Richard!

By the way, I love the demonstration mode with on-screen descriptions and all.

Have you considered changing frames and their child controls' colors to match the background?

[FellippeHeitor]

And a suggestion: Zoom In and Zoom Out would probably be more appropriately presented as buttons instead of a checkbox. A checkbox gives the idea of a setting instead of a command. Since you're setting their value to false with every click, a user may consider their click wasn't processed (especially since the zoom applied is in small steps).

[STxAxTIC]

I love the writeup, cant wait to go home and try the program. Because I cant wait, I gotta know a few things...

What kind of integrator is used, as in 1st order Euler, Runge Kutta, symplectic, or so on...?

Does the sun have finite mass? i.e. If we make Jupiter just as heavy, do we get to see the solar system as binary?

And finally, now that you are this far, I am interested in wiring in weak field general relativity to see precession of Mercury. Sounds like you used realistic physics constants, right?

[Qwerkey]

STxAxTIC, I knew you'd be interested.  You were similarly interested in the previous version.  Sorry to disappoint you.  The model hasn't changed from the previous, only integrated into InForm.

What kind of integrator is used, as in 1st order Euler, Runge Kutta, symplectic, or so on...?

Does the sun have finite mass? i.e. If we make Jupiter just as heavy, do we get to see the solar system as binary?

And finally, now that you are this far, I am interested in wiring in weak field general relativity to see precession of Mercury. Sounds like you used realistic physics constants, right?

Crikey!  I don't even understand about "what kind of integrator".  All that happens is I add up all gravitational inverse-square forces from every other body.  That's why it is so slow.  If only I knew some mathematics to be able to improve the speed.

The solar bodies have all their correct masses.

Funnily enough, I had thought "will STxAxTIC want relativistic effects to see effect on Mercury"?  Completely beyond me.

@Fellppe, I knew that this program would need modifications and the more suggestions the better for the next (and final) issue.

Richard