Isoenergetic families of planar orbits generated by homogeneous potentials (Q1811709)

The authors address the following type of inverse problem: find, in an inertial frame \(Oxy,\)\ the homogeneous potentials \(V\)\ which can produce as orbits a given family of curves \[ f(x,y)=c,\tag{1} \] traced isoenergetically by a material point of unit mass, with adequate initial conditions. Szebehely's equation, the simplest tool available for the inverse problem, reads \[ V_{x}+\gamma V_{y}=2\Gamma( V-E_{0}) ( 1+\gamma^{2}),\tag{2} \] with \(E_{0}\) being the value of the constant energy and \(\gamma=f_{y}/f_{x}\), \(\Gamma=\gamma\gamma_{x}-\gamma_{y}.\) Equation (2) is coupled with a PDE satisfied by the homogeneous of order \(m\)\ potential \(V,\)\ and a study of the existence of solutions \(V\)\ is accomplished. The problem has not always a (non-trivial) solution; a necessary differential condition is obtained, which includes third-order derivatives of the known function \(\gamma\), and also the order of homogeneity \(m\)\ of the required potential. Several special cases (displayed in a flow-chart) are carefully analysed and substantiated by examples; to mention only one, all the homogeneous potentials producing isoenergetically a family (1) of homocentric circles (\(f(x,y)=x^{2}+y^{2}\)) are of the form \(V(x,y)=H(y/x)/( x^{2}+y^{2}) ,\)\ with \(H\)\ an arbitrary function, the energy constant being \(E_{0}=0\).