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Free-fall F28

From Li & Liao (2019)

Free-fall F28 is a periodic orbit of the planar three-body problem: three equal masses that return to their starting positions and velocities every 11.843 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 3992), so a small nudge makes it unravel over a few periods. The bodies pass within 0.000135 of each other at a top speed of 86.3, line up 92 times a period, and the computed loop closes to 5.4×10⁻²⁴.

Measured over one period

Period: 11.84275154
Masses: 1 : 1 : 1
Energy: -4.44980
Angular momentum: 0
Closest approach: 1.3×10⁻⁴
Top speed: 86.28
Path length: 44.381
Alignments per period: 92
Topology: 0 (free-group class)
Stability: unstable (|λ|max 3992)
Loop closure: 5.4×10⁻²⁴

Neighbours on the map

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