Dropping Bodies
arXiv:2207.02582
Abstract
The subject is brake orbits for the 3-body problem: orbits where all velocities are zero at some instant. We extract a paradox and a mystery out of a recent database of 30 non-collision periodic brake orbits for the equal mass 3-body problem built up by Li and Liao. We solve the paradox and the mystery and pose an open question.
11 pages, 6 figures; accepted to the Intelligencer