The global flow of the parabolic restricted three-body problem (Q1766257)

The authors consider the Sitnikov spatial three-body problem, i.e. two equal masses (primaries) located symmetrically on \((x,y)\)-plane with respect to the origin and the third (infinitesimal or zero) mass moving on \(z\)-axis. The gravitational field is Newtonian one. The Sitnikov problem is related to a class of restricted problems where the positions of three bodies are all the time at the vertices of an isosceles triangle. That is, the primaries \(m_1=m_2 \) move on a non-collision orbit \(\gamma\) of the two-body problem, in the \((x,y)\)-plane, while the third body \(m_3=0\) is located on \(z\)-axis. Four different variants of the restricted isosceles problems can be distinguished in relation to the types of the orbits of \(m_3\) and \(\gamma\) and the energy of the problem: 1- 2. The energy is negative, \(\gamma\) is a circular or an elliptic orbit. 3. The energy is positive, \(\gamma\) is a hyperbolic orbit. 4. The energy is equal zero, \(\gamma\) is a parabolic orbit. The article deals with the last parabolic case of Sitnikov problem. The authors prove that the global flow of the problem is a gradient-like Morse-Smale flow in a suitable coordinate system.