TOWARD A REALISTIC 3-BODY PROBLEM

We examine 102 three-body encounters and, for each set of initial conditions, follow the evolution of three-point masses and the evolution of three polytropes with index 1.5. The results show substantial differences between the point mass and polytropic systems. Exchange encounters can be converted into resonance encounters, and all resonance encounters end with the disruption of one or more polytropes. Runaway stars occur much less frequently and are less energetic because very close encounters are either disruptive or direct impacts.