Two numerical algorithms for analyzing planar central and balanced configurations in the $(n+1)$-body problem with a small mass are presented. The first one relies on a direct solution method of the $(n+1)$-body problem by using a stochastic optimization approach, while the second one relies on an analytic-continuation method, which involves the solutions of the $n$-body and the restricted $(n+1)$-body problem, and the application of a local search procedure to compute the final $(n+1)$-body configuration in the neighborhood of the configuration obtained at the first two steps. Some exemplary central and balanced configurations in the cases $n=4,5,6$ are shown.
A stochastic optimization algorithm for analyzing planar central and balanced configurations in the $n$-body problem is presented. We find a comprehensive list of equal mass central configurations satisfying the Morse equality up to $n=12$. We show some exemplary balanced configurations in the case $n=5$, as well as some balanced configurations without any axis of symmetry in the cases $n=4$ and $n=10$.
For the gravitational $n$-body problem, the simplest motions are provided by those rigid motions in which each body moves along a Keplerian orbit and the shape of the system is a constant (up to rotations and scalings) configuration featuring suitable properties. While in dimension $d \leq 3$ the configuration must be central, in dimension $d \geq 4$ new possibilities arise due to the complexity of the orthogonal group, and indeed there is a wider class of $S$-balanced configurations, containing central ones, which yield simple solutions of the $n$-body problem. Starting from recent results of…
For planar ($N$+1)-body ($N$\,$\geq$ 2) problem with a regular $N$-polygon, under the assumption that the ($N$+1)-th body locates at the geometric center of the regular $N$-polygon, we obtain the sufficient and necessary conditions that the $N$+1 bodies can form a central configuration.
For the Restricted Circular Planar 3 Body Problem, we show that there exists an open set $\mathcal U$ in phase space independent of fixed measure, where the set of initial points which lead to collision is $O(μ^\frac{1}{20})$ dense as $μ\rightarrow 0$.
Double averaged planar restricted elliptic three-body problem has a two-parametric family of stable equilibria. We show that these equilibria are stable in the linear approximation as equilibria of the double averaged spatial restricted elliptic three-body problem. They are Lyapunov stable for all values of parameters but, possibly, parameters from some finite set of analytic curves.
The restricted planar four body problem describes the motion of a massless body under the Newtonian gravitational force of other three bodies (the primaries), of which the motion gives us general solutions of the three body problem. A trajectory is called {\it oscillatory} if it goes arbitrarily faraway but returns infinitely many times to the same bounded region. We prove the existence of such type of trajectories provided the primaries evolve in suitable periodic orbits.
It is shown that in the planar equal-mass four-body problem, there exist two sets of new action minimizers connecting two planar boundary configurations with fixed symmetry axes and specific order constraints on the four bodies: a double isosceles configuration and an isosceles trapezoid configuration. By applying the level estimate method, these minimizers are shown to be collision-free and they can be extended to two new sets of periodic or quasi-periodic orbits.
In the $N$-body problem, a simple choreography is a periodic solution, where all masses chase each other on a single loop. In this paper we prove that for the planar Newtonian $N$-body problem with equal masses, $N \ge 3$, there are at least $2^{N-3} + 2^{[(N-3)/2]}$ different main simple choreographies. This confirms a conjecture given by Chenciner and etc. in \cite{CGMS02}.
For the Newtonian (gravitational) $n$-body problem in the Euclidean $d$-dimensional space, the simplest possible solutions are provided by those rigid motions (homographic solutions) in which each body moves along a Keplerian orbit and the configuration of the $n$-body is a constant up to rotations and scalings named \textit{central configuration}. For $d\leq 3$, the only possible homographic motions are those given by central configurations. For $d \geq 4$ instead, new possibilities arise due to the higher complexity of the orthogonal group $O(d)$, as observed by Albouy and Chenciner. For ins…
Arnold Diffusion in a Restricted Planar Four-Body Problem
构造了一类能量快速增长的平面四体问题。所考虑的系统是限制性平面圆形三体问题（RPC3BP）的准周期摄动。采用Gelfreich-Turaev和de la Llave的机制来获得快速的能量增长。扩散是由围绕$L_1$和$L_2$拉格朗日点及其异宿交点的两个李雅普诺夫周期轨道形成的异宿环产生的。我们的模型是第一个已知的例子在天体力学的先验混沌情况下的阿诺德扩散。
In this paper, we show that there is a Cantor set of initial conditions in the planar four-body problem such that all four bodies escape to infinity in a finite time, avoiding collisions. This proves the Painlevé conjecture for the four-body case, and thus settles the last open case of the conjecture.
We study the planar symmetric central configurations of the $1+4$-body problem where the symmetry axis does not contain any infinitesimal masses. Under certain assumptions we find analytically some central configurations, and also get some numerical results of symmetric central configurations where infinitesimal masses are not necessarily equal.
The dynamics of the 4-body problem allows for two binary collisions to occur simultaneously. It is known that in the collinear 4-body problem this simultaneous binary collision (SBC) can be block-regularised, but that the resulting block map is only $C^{8/3}$ differentiable. In this paper, it is proved that the $C^{8/3}$ differentiability persists for the SBC in the planar 4-body problem. The proof uses several geometric tools, namely, blow-up, normal forms, dynamics near normally hyperbolic manifolds of equilibrium points, and Dulac maps.
Consider the Restricted Planar Circular 3 Body Problem with both realistic mass ratio and Jacobi constant for the Sun-Jupiter pair. We prove the existence of all possible combinations of past and future final motions. In particular, we obtain the existence of oscillatory motions. All the constructed trajectories cross the orbit of Jupiter but avoid close encounters with it. The proof relies on the method of correctly aligned windows and is computer assisted.
We give a computer assisted proof of the full listing of central configuration for $n$-body problem for Newtonian potential on the plane for $n=5,6,7$ with equal masses. We show all these central configurations have a reflective symmetry with respect to some line. For $n=8,9,10$ we establish the existence of central configurations without any reflectional symmetry.
A method to establish regions of phase space through which pass no invariant tori transverse to a given direction field is applied to the planar circular restricted three-body problem. Implications for the location of stable orbits for planets around a binary star are deduced. It is expected that lessons learnt from this problem will be useful for applications of the method to other contexts such as flux surfaces for magnetic fields, guiding centre motion in magnetic fields, and classical models of chemical reaction dynamics.
We present the Euler--Langrage equations for a many-body system of coupled planar pendulums. Hence, imposing initial condition data, the equations of motion are linearized and later developed in an idealized model for the pseudo-periodicity of the system as a function of the number of pendulums $N$. The result is empirically corroborated by comparing the model with data obtained via a numerical simulation, and by employing Kane's Method integrator in Python.
In this paper, we study a model of simplified four-body problem called planar two-center-two-body problem. In the plane, we have two fixed centers $Q_1=(-χ,0)$, $Q_2=(0,0)$ of masses 1, and two moving bodies $Q_3$ and $Q_4$ of masses $μ\ll 1$. They interact via Newtonian potential. $Q_3$ is captured by $Q_2$, and $Q_4$ travels back and forth between two centers. Based on a model of Gerver, we prove that there is a Cantor set of initial conditions which lead to solutions of the Hamiltonian system whose velocities are accelerated to infinity within finite time avoiding all early collisions. We c…
In the restricted three-body problem, consecutive collision orbits are those orbits which start and end at collisions with one of the primaries. Interests for such orbits arise not only from mathematics but also from various engineering problems. In this article, using Floer homology, we show that there are either a periodic collisional orbit, or infinitely many consecutive collision orbits in the planar circular restricted three-body problem on each bounded component of the energy hypersurface for Jacobi energy below the first critical value.
The planar $(n+1)$-body problem models the motion of $n+1$ bodies in the plane under their mutual Newtonian gravitational attraction forces. When $n\ge 3$, the question about final motions, that is, what are the possible limit motions in the planar $(n+1)$-body problem when $t\to \infty$, ceases to be completely meaningful due to the existence of non-collision singularities. In this paper we prove the existence of solutions of the planar $(n+1)$-body problem which are defined for all forward time and tend to a parabolic motion, that is, that one of the bodies reaches infinity with zero velocit…
Central configurations and relative equilibria are an important facet of the study of the $N$-body problem, but become very difficult to rigorously analyze for $N>3$. In this paper we focus on a particular but interesting class of configurations of the 5-body problem: the equilateral pentagonal configurations, which have a cycle of five equal edges. We prove a variety of results concerning central configurations with this property, including a computer-assisted proof of the finiteness of such configurations for any positive five masses with a range of rational-exponent homogeneous potentials (…
We study the linear stability of $(1+n)$-gon elliptic relative equilibrium (ERE for short), that is the Kepler homographic solution with the $(1+n)$-gon central configurations. We show that for $n\geq 8$ and any eccentricity $e\in[0,1)$, the $(1+n)$-gon ERE is stable when the central mass $m$ is large enough. Some linear instability results are given when $m$ is small.
We consider a symmetric five-body problem with three unequal collinear masses on the axis of symmetry. The remaining two masses are symmetrically placed on both sides of the axis of symmetry. Regions of possible central configurations are derived for the four- and five-body problems. These regions are determined analytically and explored numerically. The equations of motion are regularized using Levi-Civita type transformations and then the phase space is investigated for chaotic and periodic orbits by means of Poincaré surface of sections.
When the planar circular restricted 3-body problem (RTBP) is periodically perturbed, families of unstable periodic orbits break up into whiskered tori, with most tori persisting into the perturbed system. In this study, we 1) develop a quasi-Newton method which simultaneously solves for the tori and their center, stable, and unstable directions; 2) implement continuation by both perturbation as well as rotation numbers; 3) compute Fourier-Taylor parameterizations of the stable and unstable manifolds; 4) regularize the equations of motion; and 5) globalize these manifolds. Our methodology impro…
For the planar $N$-body problem, we first introduce a class of moving frame suitable for orbits near central configurations, especially for total collision orbits, which is the main new ingredient of this paper. The moving frame allows us to reduce the degeneracy of the problem according to intrinsic symmetrical characteristic of the $N$-Body problem. First, we give a full answer to the infinite spin or $Painlev\acute{e}$-$Wintner$ problem in the case corresponding to nondegenerate central configurations. Then following some original ideas of C.L. Siegel, especially the idea of normal forms, a…
In this work, we revisit the planar restricted four-body problem to study the dynamics of an infinitesimal mass under the gravitational force produced by three heavy bodies with unequal masses, forming an equilateral triangle configuration. We unify known results about the existence and linear stability of equilibrium points of this problem which have been obtained earlier, either as relative equilibria or a central configuration of the planar restricted $(3 + 1)$-body problem. It is the first attempt in this direction. A systematic numerical investigation is performed to obtain the resonance …
In this paper, we study the variational properties of two special orbits: the Schubart orbit and the Broucke-Hénon orbit. We show that under an appropriate topological constraint, the action minimizer must be either the Schubart orbit or the Broucke-Hénon orbit. One of the main challenges is to prove that the Schubart orbit coincides with the action minimizer connecting a collinear configuration with a binary collision and an isosceles configuration. A new geometric argument is introduced to overcome this challenge.
A symmetric planar central configuration of the Newtonian six-body problem $x$ is called cross central configuration if there are precisely four bodies on a symmetry line of $x$. We use complex algebraic geometry and Groebner basis theory to prove that for a generic choice of positive real masses $m_1,m_2,m_3,m_4,m_5=m_6$ there is a finite number of cross central configurations. We also show one explicit example of a configuration in this class. A part of our approach is based on relaxing the output of the Groebner basis computations. This procedure allows us to obtain upper bounds for the dim…
Consider the planar restricted $(N+1)$-body problem with trajectories of the $N(\ge 2)$ primaries forming a collision-free periodic solution of the $N$-body problem, for any positive energy $h$ and directions $θ_{\pm} \in [0, 2π)$, we prove that starting from any initial position $x$ at any initial time $t_x$, there are hyperbolic solutions $γ^{\pm}|_{[t_x, \pm \infty)}$ satisfying $γ^{\pm}(t_x) =x$ and $$ \lim_{t \to \pm \infty} γ^{\pm}(t) / |γ^{\pm}(t)| = e^{i θ_{\pm} (\text{mod } 2π)}, \;\;\lim_{ t \to \pm \infty} \dotγ^{\pm}(t) = \pm \sqrt{2h} e^{i θ_{\pm} (\text{mod } 2π)}.$$ Moreover we …
In this paper we develop symbolic computation algorithms to investigate finiteness of central configurations for the planar $n$-body problem. Our approach is based on Albouy-Kaloshin's work on finiteness of central configurations for the 5-body problems. In their paper, bicolored graphs called $zw$-diagrams were introduced for possible scenarios when the finiteness conjecture fails, and proving finiteness amounts to exclusions of central configurations associated to these diagrams. Following their method, the amount of computations becomes enormous when there are more than five bodies. Here we…
Many unstable periodic orbits of the planar circular restricted 3-body problem (PCRTBP) persist as invariant tori when a periodic forcing is added to the equations of motion. In this study, we compute tori corresponding to exterior Jupiter-Europa and interior Jupiter-Ganymede PCRTBP resonant periodic orbits in a concentric circular restricted 4-body problem (CCR4BP). Motivated by the 2:1 Laplace resonance between Europa and Ganymede's orbits, we then attempt the continuation of a Jupiter-Europa 3:4 resonant orbit from the CCR4BP into the Jupiter-Ganymede PCRTBP. We strongly believe that the re…
The set of transverse homoclinic intersections for a saddle-focus equilibrium in the planar equilateral restricted four-body problem admit certain simple homoclinic orbits which form the skeleton of the complete homoclinic intersection -- or homoclinic web. In the present work, the planar restricted four-body problem is viewed as an invariant subsystem of the spatial problem, and the influence of this planar homoclinic skeleton on the spatial dynamics is studied from a numerical point of view. Starting from the vertical Lyapunov families emanating from saddle focus equilibria, we compute the s…
Given $n$ point masses turning in a plane at a constant speed, this paper deals with the global bifurcation of periodic solutions for the masses, in that plane and in space. As a special case, one has a complete study of n identical masses on a regular polygon and a central mass. The symmetries of the problem are used in order to find the irreducible representations, the linearization, and with the help of the orthogonal degree theory, all the symmetries of the bifurcating branches.
