Collinear and triangular solutions to the coplanar and circular three-body problem in the parametrized post-Newtonian formalism

TL;DR

This paper explores how the classical three-body problem solutions are modified within the parametrized post-Newtonian formalism, revealing conditions for collinear and triangular configurations based on PPN parameters and mass ratios.

Contribution

It generalizes known equilibrium configurations of the three-body problem within the PPN framework, showing their dependence on parameters $eta$ and $\gamma$ and extending classical solutions.

Findings

Collinear equilibrium exists for arbitrary mass ratios and PPN parameters.

Triangular configuration depends on $eta$ but not on $\gamma$, with equilateral solutions only for equal masses or test particles.

Displacements from Newtonian Lagrange points depend on PPN parameters $eta$ and $\gamma$.

Abstract

This paper investigates the coplanar and circular three-body problem in the parametrized post-Newtonian (PPN) formalism, for which we focus on a class of fully conservative theories characterized by the Eddington-Robertson parameters $\beta$ and $\gamma$. It is shown that there can still exist a collinear equilibrium configuration and a triangular one, each of which is a generalization of the post-Newtonian equilibrium configuration in general relativity. The collinear configuration can exist for arbitrary mass ratio, $\beta$, and $\gamma$. On the other hand, the PPN triangular configuration depends on the nonlinearity parameter $\beta$ but not on $\gamma$. For any value of $\beta$, the equilateral configuration is possible, if and only if three finite masses are equal or two test masses orbit around one finite mass. For general mass cases, the PPN triangle is not equilateral as in the post-Newtonian case. It is shown also that the PPN displacements from the Lagrange points in the Newtonian gravity $L_1$, $L_2$ and $L_3$ depend on $\beta$ and $\gamma$, whereas those to $L_4$ and $L_5$ rely only on $\beta$.