On the Jacobi capture origin of binaries with applications to the Earth-Moon system and black holes in galactic nuclei

Close encounters between two bodies in a disc often result in a single orbital deflection. However, within their Jacobi volumes, where the gravitational forces between the two bodies and the central body become competitive, temporary captures with multiple close encounters become possible outcomes: a Jacobi capture. We perform three-body simulations in order to characterize the dynamics of Jacobi captures in the plane. We find that the phase space structure resembles a Cantor-like set with a fractal dimension of about 0.4. The lifetime distribution decreases exponentially, while the distribution of the closest separation follows a power law with index 0.5. In our first application, we consider the Jacobi capture of the Moon. We demonstrate that both tidal captures and giant impacts are possible outcomes. The impact speed is well approximated by a parabolic encounter, while the impact angles follow that of a uniform beam on a circular target. Jacobi captures at larger heliocentric distances are more likely to result in tidal captures. In our second application, we find that Jacobi captures with gravitational wave dissipation can result in the formation of binary black holes in galactic nuclei. The eccentricity distribution is approximately superthermal and includes both prograde and retrograde orientations. We conclude that dissipative Jacobi captures form an efficient channel for binary formation, which motivates further research into establishing the universality of Jacobi captures across multiple astrophysical scales.

Automated summary

Close encounters in a disc can result in orbital deflection, but within Jacobi volumes, temporary captures with multiple close encounters can occur. The dynamics of Jacobi captures were studied through three-body simulations, showing a Cantor-like set structure in phase space. The lifetime distribution decreases exponentially and the closest separation follows a power law. Applications include the Moon's Jacobi capture, where tidal captures and giant impacts are possible outcomes, and binary black hole formation in galactic nuclei, where dissipative Jacobi captures form an efficient channel for binary formation.