Critical generating orbits for second species periodic solutions of the restricted problem

The second species periodic solutions of the restricted three body problem are investigated in the limiting case of μ=0. These orbits, called consecutive collision orbits by Hénon and generating orbits by Perko, form an infinite number of continuous one-parameter families and are the true limit, for μ→0, of second species periodic solutions for μ>0. By combining a periodicity condition with an analytic relation, for criticality, isolated members of several families are obtained which possess the unique property that the stability indexk jumps from ±∞ to ?∞ at that particular orbit. These orbits are of great interest since, for small μ>0, ‘neighboring’ orbits will then have a finite (but small) region of stability.