Mecanique celeste—La torsion potentielle

The mutual potential of 2 solid bodies is a function of the six parameters defining the relative position of these two bodies, it is not a function of only either 3 or 5 parameters as it is implicitly assumed in most studies.The sixth parameter, “the potential torsion” is related to the orientation of the two bodies around the axis of the two centers, its influence is small. An upper limit is given.