Global continua of periodic solutions of singular first-order Hamiltonian systems of \(N\)-vortex type (Q2405953)

The authors consider a singular first-order Hamiltonian system of \(N\)-vortex type. They begin with a system of the form \[ \Gamma_k\dot z_k(t)= J\nabla_{z_k} H(z(t)),\tag{\(1\)} \] where \(z_k(t)\) lies in a domain \(\Omega\) in \(\mathbb{R}^2\) for \(k=1,2,\dots, N\) \((N\geq 2)\), \(J\) is the standard \(2\times 2\) symplectic structure on \(\mathbb{R}^2\), \(\Gamma_k\) are nonzero real numbers for \(k=1,2,\dots, N\), and the Hamiltonian has the form \[ H(z_1,\dots, z_N)=-{1\over 2\pi} \sum^N_{\substack{ j,k=1,\\ j\neq k}} \Gamma_j\Gamma_k\log|z_j-z_k|-F(z). \] The function \(F:\Omega^N\to\mathbb{R}\) may have additional singularities near the boundary of \(\Omega^N\). The authors' main result is a proof of the existence of a continuum of periodic solutions that emanates -- in the singular limit -- from a relative equilibrium solution of \((1)\). The Hamiltonian that corresponds to these periodic solutions has the form \[ H_\Omega(z)=-{1\over 2\pi}\sum^N_{\substack{ j,k=1,\\ j\neq k}} \Gamma_j\Gamma_k\log|z_j-z_k|-\sum^N_{j,k=1} \Gamma_j\Gamma_k g(z_j,z_k), \] where \(g:\Omega\times\Omega\to\mathbb{R}\) is a symmetric \(C^2\)-function. The authors conclude with examples of vortex crystals for which their main theorem holds.