The role of the mass ratio in ballistic capture

Abstract

ABSTRACT A massless particle can be naturally captured by a celestial body with the aid of a third body. In this work, the influence of the mass ratio on ballistic capture is investigated in the planar circular restricted three-body problem (CR3BP) model. Four typical dynamical environments with decreasing mass ratios, that is, the Pluto–Charon, Earth–Moon, Sun–Jupiter, and Saturn–Titan systems, are considered. A generalized method is introduced to derive ballistic capture orbits by starting from a set of initial conditions and integrating backward in time. Particular attention is paid to the backward escape orbits, following which a test particle can be temporarily trapped by a three-body gravity system, although the particle will eventually deviate away from the system. This approach is applied to the four candidate systems with a series of Jacobi constant levels to survey and compare the capture probability (quantitatively) and capture capability (qualitatively) when the mass ratio varies. Capture mechanisms inducing favourable ballistic capture are discussed. Moreover, the possibility and stability of capture by secondary celestial bodies are analysed. The obtained results may be useful in explaining the capture phenomena of minor bodies or in designing mission trajectories for interplanetary probes.