A Mechanism for Producing Short-Period Binaries

摘要: When three point masses form a hierarchical triple system, the short-period orbit can be severely modified by long-period if two orbits are inclined to each other more than about 39°deg (sin−1 √2/5). Such an inclination induce ‘Kozai cycles’ (Kozai, 1962), in which eccentricity of inner cycles large amount while its period and therefore semimajor axis remains roughly constant. During those periastra when is largest, tidal friction may become important, this result secular shrinkage orbit, until it becomes circularised at few days.