Resonant Binary interactions

Resonance encounters occur whan an incoming third star becomes temporarily bound to a binary during a sattering encounter. Eventually, theory tells us, one star must eventually escape. However, before that occurs, very complex (and chaotic) behavior can ensue.

Here is one particular (fairly simple) resonance scattering event, computed using the Starlab software package:

A (red-white) circular binary enters from the right, while a (green) third star enters from the left. Eventually, a (white) star escapes, leaving the (red-green) binary more tightly bound than before. Starlab's automatic classification scheme refers to this as a democratic resonance exchange interaction. (``Democratic'' here just means that all stars ``share'' more or less equally in the action.)

Here is a more complicated resonance, again starting with a red-white binary and a green incoming star. This time, the binary components are unchanged at the end, despite the complex intermediate state.

This is a democratic resonance preservation.