The decay of triple systems

Numerical simulations have been carried out in the general three-body problem with equal masses with zero initial velocities, to investigate the distribution of the decay times T based on a representative sample of initial conditions. The distribution has a power-law character on long time scales, f(T) ae T (-alpha) , with alpha = 1.74. Over small times T < 30T (cr) (T (cr) is the mean crossing time for a component of the triple system), a series of local maxima separated by about 1.0T (cr) is observed in the decay-time distribution. These local peaks correspond to zones of decay after one or a few triple encounters. Figures showing the arrangement of these zones in the domain of the initial conditions are presented.