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Moth IVa.14.D

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

Moth IVa.14.D is a periodic orbit of the planar three-body problem: three equal masses that return to their starting positions and velocities every 97.363 time units, published by Šuvakov & Dmitrašinović (2013). Broad, fringed wings built from many overlapping passes. It is weakly unstable (largest Floquet multiplier 2.740), so a small nudge makes it unravel over a few periods. The bodies pass within 0.00394 of each other at a top speed of 15.9, line up 90 times a period, and the computed loop closes to 5.8×10⁻²⁶.

Measured over one period

Period: 97.36298886
Masses: 1 : 1 : 1
Energy: -1.25940
Angular momentum: 0
Closest approach: 0.003937
Top speed: 15.94
Path length: 239.49
Alignments per period: 90
Topology: abaBAbaBAbabABabABabaBAbaBAbabABabABabABAbaBAbaBABabABabAB (free-group class)
Stability: weakly unstable (|λ|max 2.740)
Loop closure: 5.8×10⁻²⁶

Neighbours on the map

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