Free-Fall orbits are gravitational orbits where all planets start at rest and oscillate along open curves
(credit: @KangarooPhysics)pic.twitter.com/l8f1W7Lyqp
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I get that it’s mathematically possible, but not something we’d see in the real world. However, the fact that the planets are on open curves is driving me up the wall! How am I supposed to sleep at night knowing math simulations allow this kind of stuff to happen?!
There’s no issue with this. The reason you don’t see it isn’t because it’s impossible it’s that (1) it’s unlikely and (2) unstable
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Yeah, I get that. It’s entirely possible in the realm of mathematics. And it is actually a pretty cool animation, BTW. But this is a periodic system, and the curves are open! THE. CURVES. ARE. OPEN!!! Who could possibly sleep at night after seeing something like that?
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In some perspective, the curves aren't REALLY open. Squash a circle flat. It looks like one line but it's really two overlapping lines running in opposite directions.
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The precession of the geodesics of the orbits is missing. Schwarzschild would be crying like a baby.
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Somewhere in the Universe right now there are three rogue planets in interstellar space doing exactly this. I just know it.
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