Mass-independent shapes for relative equilibria in the two-dimensional positively curved three-body problem (Q6599773)

In the planar three-body problem under Newtonian potential, any masses located at the vertices of an equilateral triangle generate a relative equilibrium (RE), known as the Lagrange relative equilibrium (LRE). The equilateral triangle is the unique mass-independent shape for a relative equilibrium. The two-dimensional positively curved three-body problem is a natural extension of the Newtonian three-body problem to the sphere S2, where the masses are moving under the influence of the cotangent potential, which is the natural extension of the planar Newtonian problem to the sphere. The goal of this paper is to show that, for the cotangent potential, besides to the equilateral triangle, there is one additional isosceles triangle shape on a rotating meridian, with two equal angles seen from the center of the sphere S2, which always form a relative equilibrium independent of the choice of the masses. The authors also proved that the equilateral and this isosceles relative equilibrium are unique with this characteristic. This work will open a door for the search of new relative equilibria on curved spaces and the stability of them, as well as its possible applications. The main result of this paper is: the existence of mass-independent Euler shape on a rotating meridian, and it is briefly discussed the case of the restricted-problem on the sphere. It is also proved, here, that each relative equilibrium generated by a mass-independent shape is not isolated from the other relative equilibria.