Effects of an internal angular momentum on the rotation of a symmetrical top

The existence of an internal angular momentum induces nutations and periodic deviations from a mean precession. Motions are classified into three cases. In Case I, the nutation is regular during precessions so that the motion is a wobbling, the top behaves triaxially. This triaxiality may be involved in the triaxial deformations of nuclear shapes in nuclear physics. Case II is a limiting case of Case I at an infinite period of nutation. In Case III, the body symmetry axis is over nutated to cross over and to oscillate around the invariable plane. It is an overnutated wobbling. These three cases can be determined by whether the ratio of the internal angular momentum to the total angular momentum is less than or greater than a critical value.