  We study the capture of light objects of arbitrary velocity by binary
systems. Extending results for the capture of comets in the solar system, we
develop a simple geometric characterization of the capture cross section,
leading directly to the distribution of orbital parameters of captured objects.
We use the same framework to study the lifetimes of these bound orbits prior to
ejection, and find that a simplified version of the \"Opik--Arnold approach
readily yields a closed-form estimate for the ejection rate that agrees well
with numerical experiments. Without any detailed-balance assumptions, our
results make manifest the characteristics of close encounters leading to
capture and ejection. As an application of our results, we demonstrate the
estimation of the equilibrium population of captured dark matter particles in a
binary system.
