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Constraints on bounded motion and mutual escape for the full 3-body problem

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Abstract

When gravitational aggregates are spun to fission they can undergo complex dynamical evolution, including escape and reconfiguration. Previous work has shown that a simple analysis of the full 2-body problem provides physically relevant insights for whether a fissioned system can lead to escape of the components and the creation of asteroid pairs. In this paper we extend the analysis to the full 3-body problem, utilizing recent advances in the understanding of fission mechanics of these systems. Specifically, we find that the full 3-body problem can eject a body with as much as 0.31 of the total system mass, significantly larger than the 0.17 mass limit previously calculated for the full 2-body problem. This paper derives rigorous limits on a fissioned 3-body system with regards to whether fissioned system components can physically escape from each other and what other stable relative equilibria they could settle in. We explore this question with a narrow focus on the Spherical Full Three Body Problem studied in detail earlier.

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Acknowledgements

The author acknowledges support from NASA Grant NNX14AL16G from the Near Earth Objects Observation programs.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences, The University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA

    D. J. Scheeres

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  1. D. J. Scheeres
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Correspondence to D. J. Scheeres.

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Scheeres, D.J. Constraints on bounded motion and mutual escape for the full 3-body problem. Celest Mech Dyn Astr 128, 131–148 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10569-016-9745-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10569-016-9745-5

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