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Free-fall F4

From Li & Liao (2019)

Free-fall F4 is a periodic orbit of the planar three-body problem: three equal masses that return to their starting positions and velocities every 5.1586 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 1318), so a small nudge makes it unravel over a few periods. The bodies pass within 0.000139 of each other at a top speed of 85.4, line up 24 times a period, and the computed loop closes to 2.7×10⁻²⁴.

Measured over one period

Period: 5.158639103
Masses: 1 : 1 : 1
Energy: -3.64228
Angular momentum: 0
Closest approach: 1.4×10⁻⁴
Top speed: 85.40
Path length: 18.793
Alignments per period: 24
Stability: unstable (|λ|max 1318)
Loop closure: 2.7×10⁻²⁴

Neighbours on the map

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