Motion of a Planet with a Complex Structure

The motion of a planet consisting of a mantle and a core (solid bodies) connected by a viscoelastic layer and interacting with each other and an external point mass by the law of gravitation is considered. The mutual motions of the core and mantle are investigated assuming that the centers of mass of the planet and external point mass moves along undisturbed Keplerian orbits around the common center of mass of the system. The planetary core and mantle have an axial symmetry and different principal moments of inertia, which leads to a displacement of the center of mantle relative to the center of core and to their mutual rotations. The results obtained on the basis of averaged equations are illustrated by the example of the Earth–Moon system.