The Roche limit (Q1890110)

The author gives a short review of historical development of ideas concerned with tidal fracture of a secondary body that can lead to mass loss. The Roche limit indicates the closest distance that a secondary body can approach the primary and remain stable under very idealized conditions. The authors discusses possible extensions to more realistic situations when the secondary body may not move in a circular orbit and may not rotate in order to maintain the phase-on configuration to the primary body.