On the anisotropic Manev problem

Abstract

We consider the Manev potential, given by the sum between the inverse and the inverse square of the distance, in an anisotropic space, i.e., such that the force acts differently in each direction. Using McGehee coordinates, we blow up the collision singularity, paste a collision manifold to the phase space, study the flow on and near the collision manifold, and find a positive-measure set of collision orbits. Besides frontal homothetic, frontal nonhomothetic, and spiraling collisions and ejections, we put into the evidence the surprising class of oscillatory collision and ejection orbits. Using the infinity manifold, we further tackle capture and escape solutions in the zero-energy case. By finding the connection orbits between equilibria and/or cycles at impact and at infinity, we describe a large class of capture-collision and ejection-escape solutions.