Perihelion librations in the secular three-body problem (Q2190703)

In this paper, certain motions of three point masses under Newtonian attraction is studied. More precisely, the case of two light bodies orbiting their common center of mass (``binary asteroid system'') while interacting with a heavier mass (``planet''), is studied. A normal form theory for non-quasiperiodic (aperiodic) systems is combined with the special properties of the averaged Newtonian potential to prove in the averaged planar three-body problem, the existence of plenty motions, where periodically, the perihelion of the inner body affords librations about one equilibrium position, and its ellipse squeezes to a segment, before reversing its direction, and again decreasing its eccentricity, (``perihelion librations''). The paper is deprived of conclusions, at the end.