What analogy is used to illustrate the concept of a star being 'slingshotted' out of its gravitational system?
Answer
A cosmic billiards shot
To help visualize the chaotic and energetic nature of the three-body gravitational interaction that results in stellar ejection, a specific analogy is employed. The process is likened to a 'cosmic billiards shot.' In this scenario, one star receives sufficient energy during a close encounter with two other massive bodies (or a binary system interacting with a third object) that the energy transfer is precisely what is required to fling that participant clear of the local gravitational system, much like a cue ball striking another ball with just the right amount of force and angle to send it far away from the main cluster of balls on the table.
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