Correlating the escape dynamics and the role of the normally hyperbolic invariant manifolds in a binary system of dwarf spheroidal galaxies

Abstract

We elucidate the escape properties of stars moving in the combined gravitational field of a binary system of two interacting dwarf spheroidal galaxies. A galaxy model of three degrees of freedom is adopted for describing the dynamical properties of the Hamiltonian system. All the numerical values of the involved parameters are chosen having in mind the real binary system of the dwarf spheroidal galaxies NGC 147 and NGC 185. We distinguish between bounded (regular, sticky or chaotic) and escaping motion by classifying initial conditions of orbits in several types of two dimensional planes, considering only unbounded motion for several energy levels. We analyse the orbital structure of all types of two dimensional planes of initial conditions by locating the basins of escape and also by measuring the corresponding escape time of the orbits. Furthermore, the properties of the normally hyperbolic invariant manifolds (NHIMs), located in the vicinity of the index-1 saddle points L1, L2, and L3, are also investigated. These manifolds are of great importance, as they control the flow of stars (between the two galaxies and towards the exterior region) over the different saddle points. In addition, bifurcation diagrams of the Lyapunov periodic orbits as well as restrictions of the Poincaré map to the NHIMs are presented for revealing the dynamics in the neighbourhood of the saddle points. Comparison between the current outcomes and previous related results is also made.