Numerical determination of three-dimensional periodic orbits generated from vertical self-resonant satellite orbits

Abstract

The mechanism by which ‘vertical’ branches consisting of symmetric, three-dimensional periodic orbits bifurcate from families of plane orbits at ‘veertical self-resonant’ orbits is discussed, with emphasis on the relationship between symmetry properties and multiplicity, and methods for the numerical determination of such branches are described. As examples, eight new families of all symmetry classes which branch vertically from the familyf of retrograde satellite orbits in the Sun-Jupiter case of the restricted problem (μ=0.000 95), are given in their entirety; these branches are found, as expected, to occur in pairs, each pair arising from the same self-resonant orbit, and their symmetry properties following the predicted pattern. The stability and other properties of the branch orbits are discussed.