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Free-fall F23

From Li & Liao (2019)

Free-fall F23 is a periodic orbit of the planar three-body problem: three equal masses that return to their starting positions and velocities every 8.4974 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 7513), so a small nudge makes it unravel over a few periods. The bodies pass within 0.00317 of each other at a top speed of 18.1, line up 72 times a period, and the computed loop closes to 2.0×10⁻²⁵.

Measured over one period

Period: 8.497395016
Masses: 1 : 1 : 1
Energy: -4.89020
Angular momentum: 0
Closest approach: 0.003171
Top speed: 18.14
Path length: 32.740
Alignments per period: 72
Stability: unstable (|λ|max 7513)
Loop closure: 2.0×10⁻²⁵

Neighbours on the map

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