On out of plane equilibrium points in photo-gravitational restricted three-body problem

We have investigated the out of plane equilibrium points of a passive micron size particle and their stability in the field of radiating binary stellar systems Krüger-60, RW-Monocerotis within the framework of photo-gravitational circular restricted three-body problem. We find that the out of plane equilibrium points (L _i , i = 6, 7, 8, 9) may exist for range of β ₁ (ratio of radiation to gravitational force of the massive component) values for these binary systems in the presence of Poynting-Robertson drag (hereafter PR-drag). In the absence of PR-drag, we find that the motion of a particle near the equilibrium points L _6,7 is stable in both the binary systems for a specific range of β ₁ values. The PR-drag is shown to cause instability of the various out of plane equilibrium points in these binary systems.     

Non-integrability of the three-body problem

We consider the planar problem of three bodies which attract mutually with the force proportional to a certain negative integer power of the distance between the bodies. We show that such generalisation of the gravitational three-body problem is not integrable in the Liouville sense.     

On the existence of the “out of plane” equilibrium points in the photogravitational restricted three-body problem

The existence of equilibrium points laying out of the plane of the two primaries in the photogravitational restricted three-body problem is discussed. It is verified that such points do exist.     

Stability of the planetary three-body problem

We present a direct method for the expansion of the planetary Hamiltonian in Poincaré canonical elliptic variables with its effective implementation in computer algebra. This method allows us to demonstrate the existence of simplifications occurring in the analytical expression of the Hamiltonian coefficients. All the coefficients depending on the ratio of the semi major axis can thus be expressed in a concise and canonical form.     

A regularization of the three-body problem

Letr ₁,r ₂,r ₃ be arbitrary coordinates of the non-zero interacting mass-pointsm ₁,m ₂,m ₃ and define the distancesR ₁=|r ₁?r ₃|,R ₂=|r ₂?r ₃|,R=|r ₁?r ₂|. An eight-dimensional regularization of the general three-body problem is given which is based on Kustaanheimo-Stiefel regularization of a single binary and possesses the properties:

1. The equations of motion are regular for the two-body collisionsR ₁→0 orR ₂→0.
2. Provided thatR?R ₁ orR?R ₂, the equations of motion are numerically well behaved for close triple encounters.

Although the requirementR? min (R ₁,R ₂) may involve occasional transformations to physical variables in order to re-label the particles, all integrations are performed in regularized variables. Numerical comparisons with the standard Kustaanheimo-Stiefel regularization show that the new method gives improved accuracy per integration step at no extra computing time for a variety of examples. In addition, time reversal tests indicate that critical triple encounters may now be studied with confidence. The Hamiltonian formulation has been generalized to include the case of perturbed three-body motions and it is anticipated that this procedure will lead to further improvements ofN-body calculations.     

Observational aspect of the three-body problem

Distinguishes three phases in the history of triple-star systems research. The necessity of obtaining some crucial observational data on these systems is also pointed out. An insight into the observational material concerning triple star systems of the hierarchical type and some special properties of this group on the basis of observational data are presented, as well.     

Retrograde resonance in the planar three-body problem

We continue the investigation of the dynamics of retrograde resonances initiated in Morais and Giuppone (Mon Notices R Astron Soc 424:52–64, doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2012.21151.x, 2012). After deriving a procedure to deduce the retrograde resonance terms from the standard expansion of the three-dimensional disturbing function, we concentrate on the planar problem and construct surfaces of section that explore phase-space in the vicinity of the main retrograde resonances (2/ $-$ 1, 1/ $-$ 1 and 1/ $-$ 2). In the case of the 1/ $-$ 1 resonance for which the standard expansion is not adequate to describe the dynamics, we develop a semi-analytic model based on numerical averaging of the unexpanded disturbing function, and show that the predicted libration modes are in agreement with the behavior seen in the surfaces of section.     

High-order resonances in the restricted three-body problem

This paper consists in analyzing very simple resonance models for the j+i/j (i=2, 3, 4) resonance cases by averaging, truncating and scaling the restricted three body problem. The phase space, the equilibria, the critical areas and the probability of capture are analytically calculated for each case.     

Periodic orbits in the general three-body problem

Stability regions are identified in the neighborhood of periodic orbits. Features of motion in these regions are investigated. The structure of stability regions in the neighborhood of the Schubart, Moore, and Broucke orbits, the S-orbit, and the Ducati orbit is studied. The following features of motion are identified near these periodic orbits: libration, precession, symmetrization, centralization, bounce (a transition between types of trajectories), ejections, etc.     

Motion in the generalized restricted three-body problem

This paper investigates the motion of an infinitesimal body in the generalized restricted three-body problem. It is generalized in the sense that both primaries are radiating, oblate bodies, together with the effect of gravitational potential from a belt. It derives equations of the motion, locates positions of the equilibrium points and examines their linear stability. It has been found that, in addition to the usual five equilibrium points, there appear two new collinear points L _n1, L _n2 due to the potential from the belt, and in the presence of all these perturbations, the equilibrium points L ₁, L ₃ come nearer to the primaries; while L ₂, L ₄, L ₅, L _n1 move towards the less massive primary and L _n2 moves away from it. The collinear equilibrium points remain unstable, while the triangular points are stable for 0<μ<μ _c and unstable for $\mu_{c} \le\mu\le\frac{1}{2}$ , where μ _c is the critical mass ratio influenced by the oblateness and radiation of the primaries and potential from the belt, all of which have destabilizing tendency. A practical application of this model could be the study of the motion of a dust particle near the oblate, radiating binary stars systems surrounded by a belt.     

Escape or retention in the three-body problem

Sufficient conditions for escape and for retention in the three-body problem are derived which, for escape, are more stringent than those previously derived and, for retention, avoid the difficulty of containing the inverse of the mass of the escaping particle.     

Triple collisions in the one-dimensional three-body problem

We consider the motions of particles in the one-dimensional Newtonian three-body problem as a function of initial values. Using a mapping of orbits to symbol sequences we locate the initial values leading to triple collisions. These turn out to form curves which give clear structure to the region in which the motions depend sensitively on initial conditions. In addition to finding the triple collision orbits we also locate orbits which end up to a triple collision in both directions of time, that is, orbits which are finite both in space and time. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Approach-ejection correlation in the general three-body problem

The relations between parameters of triple approaches and the lengths of subsequent ejections are analyzed for the general three-body problem with components of equal masses and zero initial velocities. A statistically significant correlation is shown to exist between the closeness of approaches and the lengths of subsequent ejections: closer approaches generally result in longer ejections. We have found several systems that evolve to a temporary quasi-stable chain-like configuration.     

Periodic solutions in the commensurable three-body problem

Various families of periodic solutions are shown to exist in the three body problem, in which two of the bodies are close to a commensurability in mean motions about the third body, the primary, which is considerably more massive than the other two. The cases considered are

1. The non-planar circular restricted problem (in which one of the secondary bodies has zero mass, and the other moves in a fixed circular orbit about the primary).
2. The planar non-restricted problem (in which the three bodies move in a plane, and both secondaries have finite mass).
3. The planar elliptical restricted problem (in which the three bodies move in a plane, one of the secondary bodies has zero mass, and the other moves in a fixed elliptical orbit about the primary).

The method used is to eliminate all short period terms from the Hamiltonian of the motion by means of a von Zeipel transformation, leaving only the long period terms which are due to the commensurability. Hence only the long period part of the motion is considered, and the variables used differ from the variables describing the full motion by a series of short-period trigonometric terms of the order of the ratio of the mass of the secondaries to that of the primary body. It is shown that solutions of the long-period problem in which the variables remain constant are equivalent to solutions in the full motion in which the bodies periodically return to the same configuration, and these are the types of periodic solution that are shown to exist. The form of the disturbing function, and hence of the equations of motion, is found up to the fourth powers of the eccentricities and inclination by considering the d'Alembert property. The coefficients of the terms appearing in this expansion are functions of the semi-major axes of the orbits of the secondary bodies. Expressions for these coefficients are not worked out as they are not required. Lete, n, m be the orbital eccentricity, mean motion and mass of one of the secondary bodies, and lete′, n′, m′ be the corresponding quantities for the other. (The mass of the primary is taken as unity). In cases (a) and (c) we will havem=0. In case (a)e′ will be zero, and in case (c) it will be a constant. Leti be the mutual inclination of the orbits of the secondary bodies. Suppose the commensurability is of the form(p+q) n =pn′, wherep andq are relatively prime integers, and put γ=(p+q) n/n′?p. The families of periodic solutions shown to exist are as follows. For q=1 No periodic solutions are found withi≠0 in case (a), and none withe′≠0, in case (c). In case (b) periodic solutions are found in whiche=0 (m′/γ),e′=0 (m/γ) for values of γ away from the exact commensurability. As γ approaches zero thene ande′ become 0 (1). For q≠1 Case (a). Families of periodic solutions bifurcating from the family withe=0, i=0 are shown to exist. Families in whichi=0 ande becomes non-zero exist for all values ofq. Families in whiche=0 andi becomes non-zero exist for even values ofq. Families in whiche andi become non-zero simultaneously exist for odd values ofq. Case (b). No families are found other than those withe=e′=0. Case (c). Families are found bifurcating from the familye=e′=0 in whiche ande′ become non-zero simultaneously. For all these solutions existence is only demonstrated close to the point of bifurcation, where all the variables are small, as the method uses series expansions ine, e′ andi. From the form of the solutions it is clear that the non-zero variables will become large for values of γ away from the bifurcation point.     

Global chaoticity in the Pythagorean three-body problem

The effects of small changes in the initial conditions of the Pythagorean three-body problem are investigated by computer simulations. This problem consists of three interacting bodies with masses 3, 4 and 5 placed with zero velocities at the apices of a triangle with sides 3, 4 and 5. The final outcome of this motion is that two bodies form a binary and the third body escapes. We attempt to establish regions of the initial positions which give regular and chaotic motions. The vicinity of a small neighbourhood around the standard initial position of each body defines a regular region. Other regular regions also exist. Inside these regions the parameters of the triple systems describing the final outcome change continuously with the initial positions. Outside the regular regions the variations of the parameters are abrupt when the initial conditions change smoothly. Escape takes place after a close triple approach which is very sensitive to the initial conditions. Time-reversed solutions are employed to ensure reliable numerical results and distinguish between predictable and non-predictable motions. Close triple approaches often result in non-predictability, even when using regularization; this introduces fundamental difficulties in establishing chaotic regions.     

On the elliptic restricted three-body problem

The main goal of this paper is to show that the elliptic restricted three-body problem has ejection-collision orbits when the mass parameter µ is small enough. We make use of the blow up techniques. Moreover, we describe the global flow of the elliptic problem when µ = 0 taking into account the singularities due to collision and to infinity.     

On the double averaged three-body problem

The Hamiltonian of three point masses is averaged over fast variablel and ll (mean anomalies) The problem is non-planar and it is assumed that two of the bodies form a close pair (stellar three-body problem). Only terms up to the order of (a/á)⁴ are taken into account in the Hamiltonian, wherea andá are the corresponding semi-major axes. Employing the method of elimination of the nodes, the problem may be reduced to one degree of freedom. Assuming in addition that the angular momentum of the close binary is much smaller than the angular momentum of the motion of the binary around a third body, we were able to solve the equation for the eccentricity changes in terms of the Jacobian elliptic functions.     

Families of periodic orbits in the three-body problem

We show by a general argument that periodic solutions of the planar problem of three bodies (with given masses) form one-parameter families. This result is confirmed by numerical investigations: two orbits found earlier by Standish and Szebehely are shown to belong to continuous one-parameter families of periodic orbits. In general these orbits have a non-zero angular momentum, and the configuration after one period is rotated with respect to the initial configuration. Similar general arguments whow that in the three-dimensional problem, periodic orbits form also one-parameter families; in the one-dimensional problem, periodic orbits are isolated.