You’ve probably heard of the popular Netflix show and the science fiction novel The Three-Body Problem by Chinese science fiction author Liu Cixin, on which it is based. The premise of the story is a star system in which three stars orbit each other, resulting in the periodic destruction of a planet orbiting one of them. As Isaac Newton explained in his book The Philosophy of Mathematics, the interaction of two large bodies is easy to predict and calculate. However, the interaction of the three bodies makes things unpredictable (even chaotic) over time.
The problem has fascinated scientists ever since and remains one of the most famous unsolved mysteries in mathematics and theoretical physics. This theory states that the interactions of three gravitationally bound objects evolve chaotically, completely decoupled from their initial positions and velocities. But in a recent study, an international team led by researchers at the Niels Bohr Institute ran millions of simulations and showed “islands of order in a sea of chaos.” These results indicate that there may be a solution to the three-body problem, or at least some predictability.
The research was led by Alessandro Alberto Torani, a postdoctoral researcher at the Niels Bohr Institute (NBI) at the University of Copenhagen, the Center for Early Space Research at the University of Tokyo, and the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST). He was joined by researchers from Chile’s University of Concepcion, the American Museum of Natural History, the Leiden Observatory, and NASA Ames Research Center. A paper detailing their findings was recently published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.
Millions of simulations form a rough map of all possible outcomes when three objects meet, and islands of regularity emerge. Credit: Alessandro Alberto Trani
To investigate this issue, Torani and his colleagues used a software program he developed himself called Tsunami. This program calculates the motion of celestial bodies based on known physical laws such as Newton’s law of universal gravitation and Einstein’s theory of general relativity. Then, millions of I set it up to run three-body collision simulations. up to 90°. Torani explained in a recent NBI Research News article:
“The three-body problem is one of the most famous unsolved problems in mathematics and theoretical physics. In this theory, when three objects meet, their interactions evolve in a disorderly and chaotic manner, But our millions of simulations show that there are gaps in this chaos, or “islands of regularity”, where the three objects meet. directly depends on their relative positions at the time of the attack, as well as their speed and angle of approach. ”
The millions of simulations they conducted covered all possible combinations of this framework. The result was a rough map of all possible outcomes from the initial configuration thread, at which point islands of regularity emerged. This discovery poses new challenges for researchers, potentially leading to a deeper understanding of the problem that would not be possible otherwise. Although it is possible to calculate chaos using statistical methods, statistics become more complex when chaos is punctuated by regularity. Torani said:
“If some region in this map of possible outcomes suddenly becomes regular, it throws off the calculation of statistical probabilities, leading to inaccurate predictions. Our current challenge is that if the system becomes regular It’s about learning how to combine so-called numerical calculations and statistical methods that provide high precision when working. In that sense, my results have brought us back to square one, but at the same time, in the long term. gives us hope for a whole new level of understanding.”
This diagram shows two supermassive black holes merging and gravitational waves rippling outward as the black holes spiral towards each other. Credit: LIGO/T. Pyle
The three-body problem is not just a theoretical challenge, as it is common for three objects to encounter each other in the universe. Trani hopes this discovery will lead to deeper understanding and pave the way for improved astrophysical models.
“If we want to understand the gravitational waves emitted by moving black holes and other massive objects, the interaction of black holes as they meet and merge is essential, especially when three people meet. An immense force is at play. Therefore, our understanding of such encounters could be the key to understanding phenomena such as gravitational waves, gravity itself, and many other fundamental mysteries of the universe. There is sex.”
Further reading: Niels Bohr Institute
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