Stability of the Trojan Points in the Four-Body Problem.

A discussion of the stability of the Trojan points in the four-body problem with applications to the recent discovery by K. Kordelewsky of possible dust clouds orbiting the earth in relatively stable position. The effect of solar-radiation pressure is investigated. The study concludes that the stable properties commonly associated with the Trojan points of the three-body problem do not apply to the Sun-Moon-Earth-object problem, for the effect of the Sun cannot be considered as a small perturbation. The analysis concludes that the Sun would cause large excursions; it makes the Kordelewsky concept of permanent dust clouds at the Trojan points highly improbable.