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Author Topic: 3(+) Body Problem  (Read 3894 times)

emarksmi

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3(+) Body Problem
« on: December 30, 2016, 06:46:27 PM »
Is there a way to set a simulation up such that the bodies orbit the barycenter from the start vice orbiting each other?

I'm trying to set up a 3 (or more) body system where the bodies orbit the barycenter but I can't figure it out.  All I can set up are combinations of the bodies starting in combinations of orbits of each other.  For example, I'd like to set up 3 Earths (or 2 Earths and a Mars) and have them start by orbiting the system barycenter.  Right now, I can set up the first two objects orbiting each other, but the 3rd object needs to start by orbiting one of the other two.  That doesn't accomplish what I'm looking for.

Thanks.

SyzygyΣE

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Re: 3(+) Body Problem
« Reply #1 on: December 30, 2016, 07:33:20 PM »
JMBuilder mentioned some tips for setting up a trinary system in another thread. I hope this answers your question: http://universesandbox.com/forum/index.php/topic,16995.msg177149.html#msg177149

I myself don't like experimenting with binary or trinary systems as they are somewhat easier to destabilise if something goes wrong. However, I have made a trinary star system just yesterday to play with, and it may help as a visual aid to what JMBuilder's posted. I have attached the file below. The file name is "Binary" but it contains a 3 star system.

The middle two stars of that simulation are position locked because I didn't want anything to destabilise as I was testing. If you turn position lock off they should orbit each other just fine.