Planar Three-Body Problem in Phase Space

position/velocity

position

velocity

time

 x 1 [0]
 x 2 [0]
 x 3 [0]

 v 1 [0]
 v 2 [0]
 v 3 [0]

m

1

m

2

m

3

Trajectories of three point masses

m

1

,

m

2

,

m

3

interacting via Newtonian force fields in 2D (planar three-body problem). This Demonstration allows you to vary the initial positions and velocities of the three bodies and their masses. We start the dance with a choreography by Chenciner and Montgomery.