Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: An unusual object in the sky raises two related questions: what kind of object it is and what physical process drives its motion. Departures from a gravity-only trajectory can provide evidence, but the same apparent acceleration may be generated by distinct dynamical mechanisms. We formulate this as an identification problem and establish conditions for identifiable uniqueness among three reference classes: inert dynamics, impulsive forcing, and active stabilization such as a controlled spacecraft. The distinction rests on how each class responds to disturbances. Although different mechanisms can produce similar average trajectories, the specified reference models imply different stochastic responses around those trajectories. We show when these differences uniquely determine the dynamical class from the observed trajectory and when several classes remain observationally compatible.
Source: arXiv (Cornell University)
Author: Andrée, Bo Pieter Johannes
Language: English
Subfield: Aerospace Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7214116937