Stability and Geometry of Third-Order Resonances in four-Dimensional Symplectic Mappings

Abstract

We analyze four-dimensional symplectic mappings in the neighbourhood of an elliptic fixed point whose eigenvalues are close to satisfy a third-order resonance. Using the perturbative tools of resonant normal forms, the geometry of the orbits and the existence of elliptic or hyperbolic one-dimensional tori (fixed lines) is worked out. This allows one to give an analytical estimate of the stability domain when the resonance is unstable. A comparison with numerical results for the four-dimensional Henon mapping is given.