Lagrange points accumulating matter?

In the earth-moon systsm, what will happen if a large number of small
particles are introduced in random orbits?
Can you expect a higher concentratio of particles, after a period of time,
at the lagrange points L4 and L5 which are local minima as oposed to the
rest of the system as well as L1,L2 and L3 which are saddelpoints and not
minima?

In short: does L4 and L4 accumulate mass and if so, can this be observed in
the earth-moon system?

"Jason Who" wrote in message
...
In the earth-moon systsm, what will happen if a
large number of small particles are introduced in
random orbits?

They will get swept by a receeding Moon, and made unstable by
Jupiter.

Can you expect a higher concentratio of particles,
after a period of time, at the lagrange points L4
and L5 which are local minima as oposed to the rest of the
system as well as L1,L2 and L3 which
are saddelpoints and not minima?

Not long term, no.

In short: does L4 and L4 accumulate mass and if
so, can this be observed in the earth-moon system?

No, does for Jupiter though...

David A. Smith

"Jason Who" wrote in message
...
In the earth-moon systsm, what will happen if a large number of small
particles are introduced in random orbits?


This happens:
http://faculty.ifmo.ru/butikov/Proje...llection1.html


Can you expect a higher concentratio of particles, after a period of time,
at the lagrange points L4 and L5 which are local minima as oposed to the
rest of the system as well as L1,L2 and L3 which are saddelpoints and not
minima?

Sure, until the particles conglomerate into a single mass and become a part
of a single body in a three body system, for which case the Lagrange
points are increasingly unstable as the mass of the third body takes on its
own significant gravity. Lagrange only works for bodies of insignificant
mass.



In short: does L4 and L4 accumulate mass and if so, can this be observed
in the earth-moon system?

You'll have to wait a long time. You might want to look into Bode's law,
there is an entire asteroid belt of particles that didn't find their way to
the Jupiter/Sun LaGrange points, a few that did, and a better study might
be the rings and moons of Saturn.

On Apr 23, 3:11*am, "Jason Who" wrote:
In the earth-moon systsm, what will happen if a large number of small
particles are introduced in random orbits?
Can you expect a higher concentratio of particles, after a period of time,
at the lagrange points L4 and L5 which are local minima as oposed to the
rest of the system as well as L1,L2 and L3 which are saddelpoints and not
minima?

In short: does L4 and L4 accumulate mass and if so, can this be observed in
the earth-moon system?

Just the opposite, especially of L1 is devoid of matter to a much
greater extent. Our Selene/moon L1 could be down to as little as
1e-21 bar.

~ BG