Alien limit cycles in rigid unfoldings of a Hamiltonian 2-saddle cycle (Q2469392)

It is known that perturbations from a Hamiltonian 2-saddle cycle \(\Gamma\) can produce limit cycles that are not covered by the Abelian integral, even when the Abelian integral is generic. These limit cycles are called alien limit cycles. It is a conjecture that the number of alien limit cycles that can be created by perturbation of a Hamiltonian 2-saddle cycle, leaving one connection unbroken at the bifurcation, grows linearly with respect to the codimension of the Abelian integral. In the paper this conjecture is established for a `rigid unfolding of the Hamiltonian 2-saddle cycle'. Results obtained in the paper extend the results of \textit{F.~Dumortier} and \textit{R.~Roussarie} [J. Differ. Equations 227, No. 1, 116--165 (2006; Zbl 1111.34028)] and \textit{M.~Caubergh, F.~Dumortier} and \textit{R.~Roussarie} [C. R. Acad. Sci., Paris, Ser.~I 340, No. 8, 587--592 (2005; Zbl 1083.34025)].