Higher-order effects in the dynamics of hierarchical triple systems. II. Second-order and dotriacontapole-order effects

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Main Authors: Conway, Landen, Will, Clifford M.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
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author Conway, Landen
Will, Clifford M.
author_facet Conway, Landen
Will, Clifford M.
contents We analyze the long-term evolution of hierarchical triple systems in Newtonian gravity to second order in the quadrupolar perturbation parameter, and to sixth order in $ε= a/A$, the ratio of the semimajor axes of the inner and outer orbits. We apply the ``two-timescale'' method from applied mathematics to the Lagrange Planetary Equations for the inner and outer orbits, in which each osculating orbit element is split into an orbit averaged part that evolves on the long perturbative timescale, and an ``average-free'' part that is oscillatory in the orbital timescales. Averages over the two orbital timescales are performed using the well-known secular approximation. We also incorporate perturbative corrections to the relation between time and the orbital phases. We place no restrictions on the masses, on the relative orbit inclinations or on the eccentricities, beyond the requirement that the quadrupolar parameter and $ε$ both be small. The result is a complete set of long-timescale evolution equations for the averaged elements of the inner and outer orbits. At first order in perturbation theory, we obtain the dotriacontapole contributions explicitly at order $ε^6$. At second order in perturbation theory, i.e. quadratic in the quadrupole perturbation amplitude, we find contributions that scale as $ε^{9/2}$ (found in earlier work), $ε^{5}$, $ε^{11/2}$, and $ε^{6}$. At first perturbative order and dotriacontapole order, the two averaged semimajor axes are constant in time (and we prove that this holds to arbitrary multipole orders); but at second perturbative order, beginning at $O( ε^{5})$, they are no longer constant. Nevertheless we verify that the total averaged energy of the system is conserved, and we argue that this behavior is not incompatible with classical theorems on secular evolution of the semimajor axes.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2408_04411
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Higher-order effects in the dynamics of hierarchical triple systems. II. Second-order and dotriacontapole-order effects
Conway, Landen
Will, Clifford M.
Earth and Planetary Astrophysics
Astrophysics of Galaxies
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
We analyze the long-term evolution of hierarchical triple systems in Newtonian gravity to second order in the quadrupolar perturbation parameter, and to sixth order in $ε= a/A$, the ratio of the semimajor axes of the inner and outer orbits. We apply the ``two-timescale'' method from applied mathematics to the Lagrange Planetary Equations for the inner and outer orbits, in which each osculating orbit element is split into an orbit averaged part that evolves on the long perturbative timescale, and an ``average-free'' part that is oscillatory in the orbital timescales. Averages over the two orbital timescales are performed using the well-known secular approximation. We also incorporate perturbative corrections to the relation between time and the orbital phases. We place no restrictions on the masses, on the relative orbit inclinations or on the eccentricities, beyond the requirement that the quadrupolar parameter and $ε$ both be small. The result is a complete set of long-timescale evolution equations for the averaged elements of the inner and outer orbits. At first order in perturbation theory, we obtain the dotriacontapole contributions explicitly at order $ε^6$. At second order in perturbation theory, i.e. quadratic in the quadrupole perturbation amplitude, we find contributions that scale as $ε^{9/2}$ (found in earlier work), $ε^{5}$, $ε^{11/2}$, and $ε^{6}$. At first perturbative order and dotriacontapole order, the two averaged semimajor axes are constant in time (and we prove that this holds to arbitrary multipole orders); but at second perturbative order, beginning at $O( ε^{5})$, they are no longer constant. Nevertheless we verify that the total averaged energy of the system is conserved, and we argue that this behavior is not incompatible with classical theorems on secular evolution of the semimajor axes.
title Higher-order effects in the dynamics of hierarchical triple systems. II. Second-order and dotriacontapole-order effects
topic Earth and Planetary Astrophysics
Astrophysics of Galaxies
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2408.04411