Eric B. Ford et al. (2000)
Seminal secular theory for hierarchical triples, clarifying when Lidov–Kozai cycles drive large eccentricity and inclination changes.
The paper develops a secular (orbit-averaged) description of how hierarchical triple star systems evolve over long timescales under mutual gravitational perturbations. In the Lidov–Kozai context, it clarifies when exchanges between inclination and eccentricity occur and how these cycles can push the inner binary to very high eccentricity. This matters because such secular dynamics sets the conditions for close encounters, tidal shrinkage, mergers, or other dramatic outcomes in triple stars. The results provide a framework for interpreting observed triple-system architectures and for predicting which configurations are dynamically vulnerable.
Analytical secular (orbit-averaged) dynamical modeling of hierarchical three-body systems.
Celestial mechanics of hierarchical triples, secular perturbation theory, and Lidov–Kozai resonance basics.