Pseudo-holomorphic dynamics in the restricted three-body problem

Abstract

AbstractIn this paper, we identify the five dimensional analogue of the finite energy foliations introduced by Hofer–Wysocki–Zehnder for the study of three dimensional Reeb flows, and show that these exist for the spatial circular restricted three-body problem (SCR3BP) whenever the planar dynamics is convex. We introduce the notion of a fiberwise-recurrent point, which may be thought of as a symplectic version of the leafwise intersections introduced by Moser, and show that they exist in abundance for a perturbative regime in the SCR3BP. We then use this foliation to induce a Reeb flow on the standard 3-sphere, via the use of pseudo-holomorphic curves, to be understood as the best approximation of the given dynamics that preserves the foliation. We discuss examples, further geometric structures, and speculate on possible applications.