Atlas740 of 3,942

I.A.20

From Li, Jing & Liao (2018)

I.A.20 is a periodic orbit of the planar three-body problem: three equal masses that return to their starting positions and velocities every 53.69 time units, published by Li, Jing & Liao (2018). Class I.A orbits found with Liao’s clean numerical simulation method, for a third body of varying mass. It is unstable (largest Floquet multiplier 175.8), so a small nudge makes it unravel over a few periods. The bodies pass within 0.00341 of each other at a top speed of 17.2, line up 66 times a period, and the computed loop closes to 1.4×10⁻²⁵.

Measured over one period

Period: 53.68993333
Masses: 1 : 1 : 1
Energy: -1.52563
Angular momentum: 0
Closest approach: 0.003407
Top speed: 17.19
Path length: 140.83
Alignments per period: 66
Topology: aaBAbaBAbaBAbaBBabABabAAbaBAbaBAbaBAbbABabAB (free-group class)
Stability: unstable (|λ|max 175.8)
Loop closure: 1.4×10⁻²⁵

Neighbours on the map

All I.A orbits, the families of periodic three-body orbits, or the atlas map.