Instellar dynamics, abox orbit refers to a particular type oforbit that can be seen in triaxial systems, i.e. systems that do not possess asymmetry around any of itsaxes. They contrast with theloop orbits that are observed in spherically symmetric or axisymmetric systems.
In a box orbit, a star oscillates independently[citation needed] along the three different axes as it moves through the system. As a result of this motion, it fills in a (roughly) box-shaped region of space. Unlike loop orbits, the stars on box orbits can come arbitrarily close to the center of the system. As a special case, if the frequencies ofoscillation in different directions arecommensurate, the orbit will lie on a one- or two-dimensional manifold and can avoid the center.[1] Such orbits are sometimes called "boxlets".
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| Beginning of a box orbit | Many cycles of a box orbit | A closed box orbit |
