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Free-fall F7

From Li & Liao (2019)

Free-fall F7 is a periodic orbit of the planar three-body problem: three equal masses that return to their starting positions and velocities every 5.4456 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 1376), so a small nudge makes it unravel over a few periods. The bodies pass within 0.0000507 of each other at a top speed of 141, line up 28 times a period, and the computed loop closes to 7.8×10⁻²⁴.

Measured over one period

Period: 5.445559375
Masses: 1 : 1 : 1
Energy: -3.74381
Angular momentum: 0
Closest approach: 5.1×10⁻⁵
Top speed: 140.5
Path length: 18.662
Alignments per period: 28
Topology: 0 (free-group class)
Stability: unstable (|λ|max 13760)
Loop closure: 7.8×10⁻²⁴

Neighbours on the map

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