ON THE BIFURCATION AND CONTINUATION OF PERIODIC ORBITS IN THE THREE BODY PROBLEM

Abstract

We consider the planar three body problem of planetary type and we study the generation and continuation of periodic orbits and mainly of asymmetric periodic orbits. Asymmetric orbits exist in the restricted circular three body problem only in particular resonances called "asymmetric resonances". However, numerical studies showed that in the general three body problem, asymmetric orbits may exist not only for asymmetric resonances, but for other kinds, too. In this work, we show the existence of asymmetric periodic orbits in the elliptic restricted problem. These families of periodic orbits continue existing and clarify the origin of many asymmetric periodic orbits in the general problem. Also, we illustrate how the families of periodic orbits of the restricted circular problem and those of the elliptic one join smoothly and form families in the general problem, verifying in this way the scenario first described by Bozis and Hadjidemetriou.