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Free-fall F19

From Li & Liao (2019)

Free-fall F19 is a periodic orbit of the planar three-body problem: three equal masses that return to their starting positions and velocities every 8.101 time units, published by Li & Liao (2019). Three bodies released from rest fall together, swing past each other and return to rest exactly where they started. It is unstable (largest Floquet multiplier 77137), so a small nudge makes it unravel over a few periods. The bodies pass within 0.00319 of each other at a top speed of 18, line up 64 times a period, and the computed loop closes to 5.3×10⁻²⁵.

Measured over one period

Period: 8.101047418
Masses: 1 : 1 : 1
Energy: -4.76160
Angular momentum: 0
Closest approach: 0.003191
Top speed: 17.96
Path length: 30.659
Alignments per period: 64
Stability: unstable (|λ|max 77137)
Loop closure: 5.3×10⁻²⁵

Neighbours on the map

All Free-fall orbits, the families of periodic three-body orbits, or the atlas map.