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Dragonfly II.15.D

From Šuvakov & Dmitrašinović (2013). Sequences of orbits from the Belgrade three-body gallery.

Dragonfly II.15.D is a periodic orbit of the planar three-body problem: three equal masses that return to their starting positions and velocities every 81.6 time units, published by Šuvakov & Dmitrašinović (2013). Slim, elongated wings that stretch far from the centre of mass. It is unstable (largest Floquet multiplier 14.11), so a small nudge makes it unravel over a few periods. The bodies pass within 0.00602 of each other at a top speed of 12.9, line up 90 times a period, and the computed loop closes to 9.7×10⁻²⁷.

Measured over one period

Period: 81.59950107
Masses: 1 : 1 : 1
Energy: -1.42014
Angular momentum: 0
Closest approach: 0.006020
Top speed: 12.89
Path length: 214.38
Alignments per period: 90
Topology: aaBAbaBAbaBAbaBAbaBAbbABabABabABabAAbaBAbaBAbaBBabABabABabAB (free-group class)
Stability: unstable (|λ|max 14.11)
Loop closure: 9.7×10⁻²⁷

Neighbours on the map

All Dragonfly II orbits, the families of periodic three-body orbits, or the atlas map.