Dynamics of planets in retrograde mean motion resonance

In a previous paper (Gayon and Bois 2008a), we have shown the general efficiency of retrograde resonances for stabilizing compact planetary systems. Such retrograde resonances can be found when two-planets of a three-body planetary system are both in mean motion resonance and revolve in opposite directions. For a particular two-planet system, we have also obtained a new orbital fit involving such a counter-revolving configuration and consistent with the observational data. In the present paper, we analytically investigate the three-body problem in this particular case of retrograde resonances. We therefore define a new set of canonical variables allowing to express correctly the resonance angles and obtain the Hamiltonian of a system harboring planets revolving in opposite directions. The acquiring of an analytical “rail” may notably contribute to a deeper understanding of our numerical investigation and provides the major structures related to the stability properties. A comparison between our analytical and numerical results is also carried out.     

Wisdom system: Dynamics in the adiabatic approximation

A simple approximate model of the asteroid dynamics near the 3:1 mean–motion resonance with Jupiter can be described by a Hamiltonian system with two degrees of freedom. The phase variables of this system evolve at different rates and can be subdivided into the ‘fast’ and ‘slow’ ones. Using the averaging technique, wisdom obtained the evolutionary equations which allow to study the long-term behavior of the slow variables. The dynamic system described by the averaged equations will be called the ‘Wisdom system’ below. The investigation of the, wisdom system properties allows us to present detailed classification of the slow variables’ evolution paths. The validity of the averaged equations is closely connected with the conservation of the approximate integral (adiabatic invariant) possessed by the original system. Qualitative changes in the behavior of the fast variables cause the violations of the adiabatic invariance. As a result the adiabatic chaos phenomenon takes place. Our analysis reveals numerous stable periodic trajectories in the region of the adiabatic chaos.     

Existence of formal integrals of symplectic integrators

A recurrent method of solving the formal integrals of symplectic integrators is given. The special examples show that there are no long-term variations in all integrals of the Hamiltonian system in addition to the energy one when symplectic integrators are used in the numerical studies of the system. As an application of the formal integrals, the relation between them and the linear stability of symplectic integrators is discussed.     

On Integrable Hamiltonians with Velocity Dependent Potentials

We study strongly and weakly integrable 2-dimensional Hamiltonian systems with velocity dependent potentials. We determine the set of conditions which must be satisfied in order to allow the existence of an independent second invariant polynomial in the momenta. We then investigate the linear case for which a complete solution of the problem can be obtained. We recover the classical set of linear strongly integrable systems and provide several new examples of weakly integrable systems whose equations of motion can be explicitly solved at a fixed value of the energy.     

A model of the galactic tidal interaction with the oort comet cloud

We consider a model of the in situ Oort cloud which is isotropic with a random distrihution of perihelia directions and angular momenta. The energy distribution adopted has a continuous range of values appropriate for long-period (>200 yr) comets. Only the tidal torque of the Galaxy is included as a perturbation of comet orbits and it is approximated to be that due to a quasi-steady state distribution of matter with disk-like symmetry. The time evolution of all orbital elements can be analytically obtained for this case. In particular, the change in the perihelion distance per orbit and its dependence on other orbital elements is readily found. We further make the assumption that a comet whose perihelion distance was beyond 15 AU during its last passage through the Solar System would have orbit parameters that are essentially unchanged by planetary perturbations. Conversely, if the prior passage was inside 15 AU we assume that planetary perturbations would have removed the comet from the in situ energy distribution accessible by the galactic tide. Comets which had their perihelia changed from beyond 15 AU to within 5 AU in a single orbit are taken to be observable. We are able to track the evolution of 10⁶ comets as they are made observable by the galactic tidal touque. Detailed results are obtained for the predicted distribution of new (0 < 1/ < 10^–4 AU^–1) comets. Further, correlations between orbital elements can be studied. We present predictions of observed distributions and compare them with the random in situ results as well as with the actual observed distributions of class I comets. The predictions are in reasonable agreement with actual observations and, in many cases, are significantly different from random when perihelia directions are separated into galactic northern and southern hemispheres. However the well-known asymmetry in the north-south populations of perihelia remains to be explained. Such an asymmetry is consistent with the dominance of tidal torques today if a major stochastic event produced it in the past since tidal torques are unable to cause the migration of perihelia across the latitude barriers ±26°.6 in the disk model.     

Non-integrability of a Weakly Integrable Hamiltonian System

The geometric approach to mechanics based on the Jacobi metric allows to easily construct natural mechanical systems which are integrable (actually separable) at a fixed value of the energy. The aim of the present paper is to investigate the dynamics of a simple prototype system outside the zero-energy hypersurface. We find that the general situation is that in which integrability is not preserved at arbitrary values of the energy. The structure of the Hamiltonian in the separating coordinates at zero energy allows a perturbation treatment of this system at energies slightly different from zero, by which we obtain an analytical proof of non-integrability.This revised version was published online in October 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

A multi-spiral set of solutions of a 3-D Hamiltonian system

Various sets of periodic solutions of a 3-D Hamiltonian system crossing perpendicularly thez=0 plane are presented. These sets form a main multi-spiral pattern and two secondary ones which have three focal points. The main pattern is inside a stochastic region that surrounds a simple complex unstable periodic orbit, while the two secondary patterns are parts of a stochastic sea. Through these regions the stochastic region communicates with the stochastic sea.     

Chaotic behaviour in a low-order unforced,inviscid barotropic model

A low-order model of the unforced, inviscid barotropic model is examined as a dynamical system. Analytic solutions, consisting of linear and nonlinear oscillations (Rossby waves), are obtained in appropriate limiting initial conditions. These solutions are periodic. With less restrictive initial conditions the system shows quasi-periodic behaviour at low energies and chaotic behviour at high energies. This transition is accompanied by frequency-locking and period-doubling. Quasi-periodic and chaotic behaviour may coëxist in phase space for the same values of the model invariants. The results are interpreted in terms of perturbed integrable Hamiltonian systems. Considerations of the low-frequency variability of the atmosphere are also made.     

拓扑关系形式化描述的Euler示性数模型

给出了空间目标的一般表达式,并利用代数运算和集合运算相结合的方法计算出空间目标的拓扑边界和内部。针对空间目标点集拓扑运算所得集合的非闭性,提出了一种适合于Euler示性数计算的方法,建立了一种形式化描述拓扑关系的Euler示性数模型。实例证明了所提方法和形式化模型的正确性。     

Frozen orbits for satellites close to an Earth-like planet

We say that a planet is Earth-like if the coefficient of the second order zonal harmonic dominates all other coefficients in the gravity field. This paper concerns the zonal problem for satellites around an Earth-like planet, all other perturbations excluded. The potential contains all zonal coefficientsJ ₂ throughJ ₉. The model problem is averaged over the mean anomaly by a Lie transformation to the second order; we produce the resulting Hamiltonian as a Fourier series in the argument of perigee whose coefficients are algebraic functions of the eccentricity — not truncated power series. We then proceed to a global exploration of the equilibria in the averaged problem. These singularities which aerospace engineers know by the name of frozen orbits are located by solving the equilibria equations in two ways, (1) analytically in the neighborhood of either the zero eccentricity or the critical inclination, and (2) numerically by a Newton-Raphson iteration applied to an approximate position read from the color map of the phase flow. The analytical solutions we supply in full to assist space engineers in designing survey missions. We pay special attention to the manner in which additional zonal coefficients affect the evolution of bifurcations we had traced earlier in the main problem (J ₂ only). In particular, we examine the manner in which the odd zonalJ ₃ breaks the discrete symmetry inherent to the even zonal problem. In the even case, we find that Vinti's problem (J ₄+J ₂ ² =0) presents a degeneracy in the form of non-isolated equilibria; we surmise that the degeneracy is a reflection of the fact that Vinti's problem is separable. By numerical continuation we have discovered three families of frozen orbits in the full zonal problem under consideration; (1) a family of stable equilibria starting from the equatorial plane and tending to the critical inclination; (2) an unstable family arising from the bifurcation at the critical inclination; (3) a stable family also arising from that bifurcation and terminating with a polar orbit. Except in the neighborhood of the critical inclination, orbits in the stable families have very small eccentricities, and are thus well suited for survey missions.