Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Stability criteria for triple stars

  • Published:
Celestial mechanics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A wide variety of equal-mass stellar triple systems has been numerically integrated in order to establish factors pertinent to stability. The significant parameters appear to be whether the relative revolution is direct or retrograde, and the ratio of the periastron distance in the outer orbit to the semi-major axis of the inner orbit. For stability, this ratio must be at least 3.5 for direct orbits and at least 2.75 for retrograde orbits.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Evans, D. S.: 1968,Quart. J. Roy. Astron. Soc. 9, 388.

    Google Scholar 

  • Finsen, W. S. and Worley, C. E.: 1970,Union Obs. Circ. 7, No. 129.

  • Harrington, R. S.: 1968,Astron. J. 73, 190.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harrington, R. S.: 1969,Celes. Mech. 1, 200.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harrington, R. S.: 1970,Astron. J. 75, 1140.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sharpless, S.: 1966,Vistas in Astronomy 8, Pergamon Press, Oxford, p. 127.

    Google Scholar 

  • Szebehely, V.: 1971,Celes. Mech. 4, 116.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. U.S. Naval Observatory, Washington, D.C., USA

    Robert S. Harrington

Authors
  1. Robert S. Harrington
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Harrington, R.S. Stability criteria for triple stars. Celestial Mechanics 6, 322–327 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01231475

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01231475

Keywords

Search

Navigation