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Moth IVa.11.Aβ

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

Moth IVa.11.Aβ is a periodic orbit of the planar three-body problem: three equal masses that return to their starting positions and velocities every 74.404 time units, published by Šuvakov & Dmitrašinović (2013). Broad, fringed wings built from many overlapping passes. It is unstable (largest Floquet multiplier 16.11), so a small nudge makes it unravel over a few periods. The bodies pass within 0.0256 of each other at a top speed of 6.26, line up 70 times a period, and the computed loop closes to 2.2×10⁻²⁷.

Measured over one period

Period: 74.40417118
Masses: 1 : 1 : 1
Energy: -1.27805
Angular momentum: 0
Closest approach: 0.02559
Top speed: 6.261
Path length: 189.03
Alignments per period: 70
Topology: abaBAbaBAbaBAbaBAbaBAbabABabABabABabABabABabAB (free-group class)
Stability: unstable (|λ|max 16.11)
Loop closure: 2.2×10⁻²⁷

Neighbours on the map

All Moth IVa orbits, the families of periodic three-body orbits, or the atlas map.