The stellar three-body problem

Two applications of von Zeipel's method to the stellar three-body problem eliminate the short period terms and establish two new integrals of the motion beyond the classical integrals. The remaining time averaged problem with only the second order Hamiltonian has one additional integral and can be solved. The motion with the third order averaged Hamiltonian included is more complex, in that there may be additional resonances, and the additional integral does not exist in all cases.     

An asymptotic solution for the stellar case of the non-planar three-body problem

A simplified model of the Non-Planer Three-Body Problem is considered in which to particles, forming a close binary, orbit a distant point. A small parameter , related to the distance separating the binary and the remaining mass, is defined. The time is eliminated from the equations of motion and an angular variable is used instead. A three-variable expansion procedure is used to find an asymptotic solution of the problem. It is possible to obtain a solution up to the order six in without secular terms only if the mutual inclinationi ₀ of the unperturbed orbits is less than a critical inclinationi ₁ (i ₁39°).

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Resumé On considère un modèle simplifié du Problème Non-Plan des Trois Corps, dans lequel deux particules, formant une binaire proche, sont en orbite par rapport à un troisième point éloigné des deux autres. On définit un petit paramètre , lié à la distance séparant la binaire de la particule restante. On élimine le temps des équations du mouvement et on utilise une variable angulaire comme nouvelle variable indépendante. Une méthode de développement à trois échelles est utilisée permettant d'obtenir une solution asymptotique du problème. On montre qu'il est possible d'obtenir une solution jusqu'à l'ordre six en sans termes séculaires uniquement si l'inclinaison mutuellei ₀ des orbites non perturbés est inférieure à un angle d'inclinaison critiquei ₁ (i ₁39°).

     

A keplerian method to estimate perturbations in the restricted three-body problem

We develop a new and fast method to estimate perturbations by a planet on cometary orbits. This method allows us to identify accurately the cases of large perturbations in a set of fictitious orbits. Hence, it can be used in constructing perturbation samples for Monte Carlo simulations in order to maximize the amount of information. Furthermore, the estimated perturbations are found to yield a good approximation to the real perturbation sample. This is shown by a comparison of the perturbations obtained by the new estimator with the results of numerical integration of regularized equations of motion for the same orbits in the same dynamical model: the three-dimensional elliptic restricted three-body problem (Sun-Jupiter-comet).     

Application of the restricted hyperbolic three-body problem to a star-sun-comet system

The equations of motion for a third body of small mass are developed in the problem where the two primary bodies are in hyperbolic orbits about each other. The equations are applied to a hypothetical star-sun-comet system to determine the effect of the stellar encounter on the orbit of the comet.This paper is part of a doctoral thesis completed at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.     

Application of Hamilton's law of varying action to the restricted three-body problem

The Law of Varying Action, originally published by Hamilton in 1834, was recently employed by Bailey in devising a technique for generating power series characterizing the motions of dynamical systems. Furthermore, Bailey's method permits one to construct these series in a simple and direct way, without using the associated differential equations of motion. In the present paper, Hamilton's law is developed in its most general form and is used to produce series solutions of the restricted three-body problem. Finally, for illustrative purposes, numerical results are presented for several symmetric periodic orbits.The authors are indebted to Professor Thomas R. Kane of Stanford University for this idea.     

Existence of quasi-periodic solutions to the three-body problem

A rigorous proof is given for the existence of quasi-periodic solutions with only two degrees of freedom to a planar three-body problem. The solution corresponds physically to the small bodies moving on different, nearly elliptical orbits about a large mass located at a focus. The perihelia of the two orbits are locked in such a way that the difference of the two perihelia has mean value zero.     

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.     

The three-body problem

Book review

The three-body problemby Christian Marchal, Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1990, (ISBN 0444874402)     

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.     

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.     

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.     

From the circular to the spatial elliptic restricted three-body problem

We deal with the study of the spatial restricted three-body problem in the case where the small particle is far from the primaries, that is, the so-called comet case. We consider the circular problem, apply double averaging and compute the relative equilibria of the reduced system. It appears that, in the circular problem, we find not only part of the equilibria existing in the elliptic case, but also new ones. These critical points are in correspondence with periodic and quasiperiodic orbits and invariant tori of the non-averaged Hamiltonian. We explain carefully the transition between the circular and the elliptic problems. Moreover, from the relative equilibria of elliptic type, we obtain invariant 3-tori of the original system.     

The rectilinear three-body problem

The rectilinear equal-mass and unequal-mass three-body problems are considered. The first part of the paper is a review that covers the following items: regularization of the equations of motion, integrable cases, triple collisions and their vicinities, escapes, periodic orbits and their stability, chaos and regularity of motions. The second part contains the results of our numerical simulations in this problem. A classification of orbits in correspondence with the following evolution scenarios is suggested: ejections, escapes, conditional escapes (long ejections), periodic orbits, quasi-stable long-lived systems in the vicinity of stable periodic orbits, and triple collisions. Homothetic solutions ending by triple collisions and their dependence on initial parameters are found. We study how the ejection length changes in response to the variation of the triple approach parameters. Regions of initial conditions are outlined in which escapes occur after a definite number of triple approaches or a definite time. In the vicinity of a stable Schubart periodic orbit, we reveal a region of initial parameters that corresponds to trajectories with finite motions. The regular and chaotic structure of the manifold of orbits is mostly defined by this periodic orbit. We have studied the phase space structure via Poincaré sections. Using these sections and symbolic dynamics, we study the fine structure of the region of initial conditions, in particular the chaotic scattering region.     

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.     

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.     

An application of the Nekhoroshev theorem to the restricted three-body problem

We studied the stability of the restricted circular three-body problem. We introduced a model Hamiltonian in action-angle Delaunay variables. which is nearly-integrable with the perturbing parameter representing the mass ratio of the primaries. We performed a normal form reduction to remove the perturbation in the initial Hamiltonian to higher orders in the perturbing parameter. Next we applied a result on the Nekhoroshev theorem proved by Pöschel [13] to obtain the confinement in phase space of the action variables (related to the elliptic elements of the minor body) for an exponentially long time. As a concrete application. we selected the Sun-Ceres-Jupiter case, obtaining (after the proper normal form reduction) a stability result for a time comparable to the age of the solar system (i.e., 4.9 · 10⁹ years) and for a mass ratio of the primaries less or equal than 10^–6.     

On the stroboscopic method of second order

It is assumed that the dynamical system can be represented by equations of the form $$\begin{gathered} \dot x = \varepsilon _i f_i (x,y) \hfill \\ \dot y = u(x,y) + \varepsilon _i g_i (x,y) \hfill \\ \end{gathered} $$ as this is the case for the Lagrange equations in celestial mechanics. The perturbation functionsf _i andg _i may also depend on the timet. The fast angular variabley is now taken as independent variable. Using perturbation theory and expanding in Taylor series the differential equations for the zeroth, first, second, ... order approximations are obtained. In the stroboscopic method in particular the integration is performed analytically over one revolution, say from perigee to perigee. By the rectification step applied tox andt, the initial values for the next revolution are obtained. It is shown how the second order terms can be determined for the various perturbations occurring in satellite theory. The solution constructed in this way remains valid for thousands of revolutions. An important feature of the method is the small amount of computing time needed compared with numerical integration.     

McScatter: A simple three-body scattering package with stellar evolution

We describe a simple computer package which illustrates a method of combining stellar dynamics with stellar evolution. Though the method is intended for elaborate applications (especially the dynamical evolution of rich star clusters) it is illustrated here in the context of three-body scattering, i.e. interactions between a binary star and a field of single stars. We describe the interface between the dynamics and the two independent packages which describe the internal evolution of single stars and binaries. We also give an example application, and introduce a stand alone utility for the visual presentation of simulation results.