Triple collision orbits with nonzero initial velocities (Q6088000)

This work is a numerical study of the triple collision orbits of the three-body problem with nonzero initial velocities. In order for triple collision orbits to occur, the angular momentum must be zero, which is an easy corollary to the inequality of Sundman. Thus, the first step in any numerical study of triple collisions is deriving a sufficient condition of the velocities of three bodies so that the angular momentum vanishes. In this work, velocity conditions are expressed by two parameters. In Section 1.4, the authors state six numerical conjectures regarding non free-fall, i.e., non-zero initial velocities triple collision orbits. In sequential sections of the paper, the authors provide strong numerical evidence for the validity of these conjectures. A familiarity with a shape-space approach to the study of the three-body problem, as well as some background in symbolic dynamics and Syzygy sequences are necessary to digest the results. The numerical techniques used to integrate a three-body problem are developed. by the authors in their seminal work (1999). This work could be considered a natural extension to the study of free-fall triple collision orbits in a three-body problem by the same authors (2019).