Jupiter and the boron problem

The “cosmic” abundance of boron is one of the least well known of all the 92 natural elements even thought it can appear in substantial concentrations on the Earth's surface. It is suggested that Jupiter might be a suitable place to search for boron because it forms numerous stable, volatile compounds with hydrogen and other abundant elements whose presence might be sought either spectroscopically or by entry devices.     

From the circular to the spatial elliptic restricted three-body problem

We deal with the study of the spatial restricted three-body problem in the case where the small particle is far from the primaries, that is, the so-called comet case. We consider the circular problem, apply double averaging and compute the relative equilibria of the reduced system. It appears that, in the circular problem, we find not only part of the equilibria existing in the elliptic case, but also new ones. These critical points are in correspondence with periodic and quasiperiodic orbits and invariant tori of the non-averaged Hamiltonian. We explain carefully the transition between the circular and the elliptic problems. Moreover, from the relative equilibria of elliptic type, we obtain invariant 3-tori of the original system.     

On the restricted circular three-charged-body problem

Two-charged bodiesM ₁ andM ₂ revolve round their centre of mass in circular orbits under Newton's inverse-square law and the so similar Coulomb's law. A third-charged-bodyM, without mass and charge (i.e., such that it is attracted or repulsed byM ₁ andM ₂, but does not influence their motion), moves in a field with a force function, namely $$U = {\text{ }}\frac{{q - \mu }}{{r_1 }}{\text{ }} + {\text{ }}\frac{{\mu - q}}{{r_2 }}$$ , which is created byM ₁ andM ₂. In what follows, the existence and location of the collinear and equilateral Lagrangian points or solutions with be discussed and the interpretation of them will be given. This work is a generalization of the classical restricted circular three-body problem.     

On the elliptic restricted three-body problem

The main goal of this paper is to show that the elliptic restricted three-body problem has ejection-collision orbits when the mass parameter µ is small enough. We make use of the blow up techniques. Moreover, we describe the global flow of the elliptic problem when µ = 0 taking into account the singularities due to collision and to infinity.     

An application of the Nekhoroshev theorem to the restricted three-body problem

We studied the stability of the restricted circular three-body problem. We introduced a model Hamiltonian in action-angle Delaunay variables. which is nearly-integrable with the perturbing parameter representing the mass ratio of the primaries. We performed a normal form reduction to remove the perturbation in the initial Hamiltonian to higher orders in the perturbing parameter. Next we applied a result on the Nekhoroshev theorem proved by Pöschel [13] to obtain the confinement in phase space of the action variables (related to the elliptic elements of the minor body) for an exponentially long time. As a concrete application. we selected the Sun-Ceres-Jupiter case, obtaining (after the proper normal form reduction) a stability result for a time comparable to the age of the solar system (i.e., 4.9 · 10⁹ years) and for a mass ratio of the primaries less or equal than 10^–6.     

Application of the restricted hyperbolic three-body problem to a star-sun-comet system

The equations of motion for a third body of small mass are developed in the problem where the two primary bodies are in hyperbolic orbits about each other. The equations are applied to a hypothetical star-sun-comet system to determine the effect of the stellar encounter on the orbit of the comet.This paper is part of a doctoral thesis completed at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.     

Motion in the generalized restricted three-body problem

This paper investigates the motion of an infinitesimal body in the generalized restricted three-body problem. It is generalized in the sense that both primaries are radiating, oblate bodies, together with the effect of gravitational potential from a belt. It derives equations of the motion, locates positions of the equilibrium points and examines their linear stability. It has been found that, in addition to the usual five equilibrium points, there appear two new collinear points L _n1, L _n2 due to the potential from the belt, and in the presence of all these perturbations, the equilibrium points L ₁, L ₃ come nearer to the primaries; while L ₂, L ₄, L ₅, L _n1 move towards the less massive primary and L _n2 moves away from it. The collinear equilibrium points remain unstable, while the triangular points are stable for 0<μ<μ _c and unstable for $\mu_{c} \le\mu\le\frac{1}{2}$ , where μ _c is the critical mass ratio influenced by the oblateness and radiation of the primaries and potential from the belt, all of which have destabilizing tendency. A practical application of this model could be the study of the motion of a dust particle near the oblate, radiating binary stars systems surrounded by a belt.     

A keplerian method to estimate perturbations in the restricted three-body problem

We develop a new and fast method to estimate perturbations by a planet on cometary orbits. This method allows us to identify accurately the cases of large perturbations in a set of fictitious orbits. Hence, it can be used in constructing perturbation samples for Monte Carlo simulations in order to maximize the amount of information. Furthermore, the estimated perturbations are found to yield a good approximation to the real perturbation sample. This is shown by a comparison of the perturbations obtained by the new estimator with the results of numerical integration of regularized equations of motion for the same orbits in the same dynamical model: the three-dimensional elliptic restricted three-body problem (Sun-Jupiter-comet).     

Remarks on the photogravitational restricted three-body problem

The effects of the radiation pressure in the restricted three-body problem are considered and the existence of the out-of-plane equilibrium points is analyzed. It is found that within the framework of the stellar stability, the five Lagrangian points are the only equilibrium points, at least as far as the force of the radiation pressure is taken into account.     

The photogravitational restricted three-body problem

The photogravitational restricted three-body problem is reviewed and the case of the out-of-plane equilibrium points is analysed. It is found that, when the motion of an infinitesimal body is determined only by the gravitational forces and effects of the radiation pressure, there are no out-of-plane stable equilibrium points.     

High-order resonances in the restricted three-body problem

This paper consists in analyzing very simple resonance models for the j+i/j (i=2, 3, 4) resonance cases by averaging, truncating and scaling the restricted three body problem. The phase space, the equilibria, the critical areas and the probability of capture are analytically calculated for each case.     

A restricted charged four-body problem

We consider a restricted charged four body problem which reduces to a two degrees of freedom Hamiltonian system, and prove the existence of infinite symmetric periodic orbits with arbitrarily large extremal period. Also, it is shown that an appropriate restriction of a Poincaré map of the system is conjugate to the shift homeomorphism on a certain symbolic alphabet.Partially supported by a grant of the CGICT no. P1386-0351.On leave of absence from Departamento de Fisica, Universidade de Lisboa. Partially supported by a grant of Fundaçao Calouste Gulbenkian no. 32/85/13.     

The circular restricted four-body problem

By generalizing the restricted three-body problem, we introduce the restricted four-body problem. We present a numerical study of this problem which includes a study of equilibrium points, regions of possible motion and periodic orbits. Our main motivation for introducing this problem is that it can be used as an intermediate step for a systematic exploration of the genral four-body problem. In an analogous way, one may introduce the restrictedN-body problem.     

Robe's restricted three-body problem revisited

Robe's restricted three-body problem is reanalyzed with a view to incorporate a new assumption, namely that the configuration of the fluid body is that described by an hydrostatic equilibrium figure (Roche's ellipsoid). In the concomitant gravitational field a full treatment of the buoyancy force is given. The pertinent equations of motion are derived, the linear stability of the equilibrium solution is studied and the connection between the effect of the buoyancy forces and a perturbation of the Coriolis force is pointed out.     

Application of Hamilton's law of varying action to the restricted three-body problem

The Law of Varying Action, originally published by Hamilton in 1834, was recently employed by Bailey in devising a technique for generating power series characterizing the motions of dynamical systems. Furthermore, Bailey's method permits one to construct these series in a simple and direct way, without using the associated differential equations of motion. In the present paper, Hamilton's law is developed in its most general form and is used to produce series solutions of the restricted three-body problem. Finally, for illustrative purposes, numerical results are presented for several symmetric periodic orbits.The authors are indebted to Professor Thomas R. Kane of Stanford University for this idea.     

Numerical investigation of the planar restricted three-body problem

In this article a method is described for the determination of families of periodic orbits, of the restricted problem of three bodies, as branchings of a given family of stable periodic orbits. Poincaré's method of successive crossings of a surface of section is applied for a value of the mass parameter corresponding to the Sun-Jupiter case of the restricted problem. New families are found, of the type of direct asteroids, having long periods and closing in space after many revolutions of the third body about the Sun. Their stability parameters are also given. The generating family, from which they branch, seems to have special significance for stability considerations.