Are Stable Ternary Star Systems Possible?!
In this plot all 3 masses are equal (see Figure 6a for 2 equal masses and an infinitesimal perturbed mass). As in Figure 5 and Figure 6a, this contour plot shows a function of the falling rate difference that indicates the rate at which a (static) triangle, here of equal masses, with the body at L4 (or L5) perturbed (to the point on the plot), further degrades from equilateral. The tadpoles no longer have that characteristic, asymmetric shape, but rather have degenerated to a seemingly simpler, symmetric shape, since the 2 unperturbed masses are in fact equal. Again, the degradation is least quick in the degenerated tadpoles, quicker in the degenerated horseshoe (which almost seems to have formed a circular orbit around both masses), to very much quicker outside them. It may be difficult to tell from this plot, but the region of possible stable equilibrium around L4 (and L5) seems smaller in this plot with all 3 masses equal (i.e. the lighter color near L4/L5 does not extend out as far
