Three-Body Problem
Application ID: 48491
The graviational three body problem involves the calculation of the positions and velocities of three objects under mutual gravitational attraction, given their position and velocity at some initial time.
While the three-body problem does not have a general analytic solution and is known to display chaotic behavior, certain initial conditions are known to repeat the same configuration periodically over time.
In this example, the gravitational force is added as a Particle-Particle Interaction force. Two known periodic solutions are compared: the stable figure-eight configuration and the inherently unstable Lagrange configuration.
This model example illustrates applications of this type that would nominally be built using the following products:
however, additional products may be required to completely define and model it. Furthermore, this example may also be defined and modeled using components from the following product combinations:
The combination of COMSOL® products required to model your application depends on several factors and may include boundary conditions, material properties, physics interfaces, and part libraries. Particular functionality may be common to several products. To determine the right combination of products for your modeling needs, review the Tabella delle Funzionalità and make use of a free evaluation license. The COMSOL Sales and Support teams are available for answering any questions you may have regarding this.