Periodic solutions of circular-elliptic type in the planarN-body problem

Letn2 mass points with arbitrary masses move circularly on a rotating straight-line central-configuration; i.e. on a particular solution of relative equilibrium of then-body problem. Replacing one of the mass points by a close pair of mass points (with mass conservation) we show that the resultingN-body problem (N=n+1) has solutions, which are periodic in a rotating coordinate system and describe precessing nearlyelliptic motion of the binary and nearlycircular collinear motion of its center of mass and the other bodies; assuming that also the mass ratio of the binary is small.