Theoretical Orbits of Planets in Binary Star Systems
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In every example so far we have adjusted the planet's trajectory to make its orbit as close to circular as possible. But what happens if the planet's orbit is eccentric?
The next diagram shows a planet with an eccentric retrograde orbit around a binary star system. The orbit is approximately elliptical. The planet's period p = approx. 12.5 and its maximum distance = 10. The shape of the orbit slowly rotates around the star system in the same direction as the planet's orbital motion. This is called apsidal advance, and occurs here because the gravitational field of the binary does not obey the inverse square law, as shown in table 1.
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Copyright 2001 S.Edgeworth