Lunisolar apsidal resonances at low satellite orbits (Q1976126)

Eccentricity resonances between the secular motion of an Earth satellite's orbit and the longitudes of the Sun and the Moon are studied within the Hamiltonian framework. The problem is approximated in a traditional manner, with the Earth's potential including only the second-order zonal harmonic, and by using a Hill-type approximation for perturbing bodies. For a family of 10 resonances, stable and unstable points are identified and libration widths are estimated. The author gives numerical values for the maximum variation of eccentricity available at each resonance. The respective amplitudes of the perigee heights' libration range from 2 to 750 km, and the resonance of the solar origin are generally stronger than lunar counterparts.