Stochastic transition of free motion in billiards with borders given by equipotential lines of the diamagnetic Kepler problem.

Abstract

We compare the transition from ordered to chaotic motion in a potential with that in a billiard, whose borders are defined by the maximal equipotential line of the potential system in the case of hydrogen in a uniform magnetic field. For the billiard we calculate the Poincar\'e maps, the fraction of regular motion on the surface of section, and the stability properties of the shortest periodic orbits. In contrast to the H atom, the billiard shows a generic transition to chaos. While the shape of the orbits is determined by the boundary and is thus very similar, their properties of stability are different: The potential tends to stabilize the motion. The onset of instability in the billiard can be understood in terms of the curvature of the boundary; for the potential system the Gaussian curvature of the potential-energy surface is shown to be the relevant parameter.