An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics

In the → restricted three-body problem, a surface which limits the region of space in which a small body can move. In the expression for the → Jacobi integral, the left side value is always positive or nul; hence the particle motion is confined to the region where U ≤ C_J. The surface that limits this region, defined by U = C_J, is called the zero-velocity surface.

See also: → zero; → velocity; → surface.