No label defined (Q4338670)

We made some numerical simulations of the planar general three-body problem, in order to understand scattering and disruption of triple stellar systems. We introduce a new classification principle of the solutions with negative energy. Most of these solutions are hyperbolic-elliptic. We classify them according to the number \(n\) of variations (maxima or minima) of their moment of inertia \(I(t)\). These classes with a given \(n\) have clearly defined boundaries: Chazy's so-called parabolic-elliptic solutions. These families of parabolic-elliptic solutions usually terminate at isolated triple collision solutions. In order to illustrate the new classification scheme, we integrate a two-parameter collection of about 1 million solutions with zero initial velocities. The numerical integrations are all performed with a Steffensen recurrent power series method, with an automatic step selection, with an order of 14 to 16 and with a two-dimensional Levi-Civita regularization. For the entire collection see [Zbl 0845.00056].