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Free-fall F22

From Li & Liao (2019)

Free-fall F22 is a periodic orbit of the planar three-body problem: three equal masses that return to their starting positions and velocities every 5.4474 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 45682), so a small nudge makes it unravel over a few periods. The bodies pass within 0.00000749 of each other at a top speed of 366, line up 74 times a period, and the computed loop closes to 7.4×10⁻¹⁹.

Measured over one period

Period: 5.447371699
Masses: 1 : 1 : 1
Energy: -6.36430
Angular momentum: 0
Closest approach: 7.5×10⁻⁶
Top speed: 365.5
Path length: 23.974
Alignments per period: 74
Stability: unstable (|λ|max 45682)
Loop closure: 7.4×10⁻¹⁹

Neighbours on the map

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