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Free-fall F5

From Li & Liao (2019)

Free-fall F5 is a periodic orbit of the planar three-body problem: three equal masses that return to their starting positions and velocities every 4.9648 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 89574), so a small nudge makes it unravel over a few periods. The bodies pass within 0.0000399 of each other at a top speed of 159, line up 24 times a period, and the computed loop closes to 4.9×10⁻²³.

Measured over one period

Period: 4.964769512
Masses: 1 : 1 : 1
Energy: -3.70026
Angular momentum: 0
Closest approach: 4.0×10⁻⁵
Top speed: 159.1
Path length: 17.181
Alignments per period: 24
Topology: 0 (free-group class)
Stability: unstable (|λ|max 89574)
Loop closure: 4.9×10⁻²³

Neighbours on the map

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