Stability of relative equilibrium of a mechanical system with deformable elements on a circular orbit / A. V. Il'inskaya. //Vestnik Moskovskogo Universiteta. Seriya 1. Matematika. Mekhanika. 2014. ? 1. P. 60-65 [Moscow Univ. Math. Bulletin. Vol. 69, N 1, 2014.].

The stability problem for the relative equilibrium of a system in an orbit is considered. The system consists of two rigid bodies connected by a thin inextensible elastic rod. The stability problem for the steady motions is reduced to the minimization problem for the system's potential energy consisting of the potential energy of elastic, gravitational, and centrifugal forces.

Key words: stability, equilibrium positions, elastic rod, potential energy functional, mechanical system, orbit.