Instability of equilibrium solutions of Hamiltonian systems with \(n\)-degrees of freedom under the existence of multiple resonances and an application to the spatial satellite problem (Q2419935)

The authors consider a canonical Hamiltonian system \[ \dot{q} = \partial H/\partial p, \qquad \dot{p} = - \partial H/\partial q ,\] where $H(q,p)$ is real analytic and $H(0,0)=0$. It is assumed the MacLaurin series of $H(q,p)$ is \[ H = H_2 + H_3 + \cdots + H_j + \cdots, \] where $H_j$ is a homogeneous polynomial of degree $j$ in the vector variables $(q,p)$. In particular, the quadratic part has the form \[H_2 = \frac12 \sum_1^n\omega_k(q_k^2 + p_k^2). \] The frequency vector $\omega= (\omega_1,\ldots,\omega_n)$ admits multiple resonances of a certain odd order. The paper is devoted to the study of the stability of the null solution of the Hamiltonian system. \par First the Hamiltonian is normalized in its Lie normal form up to order $s$ by introducing the action-angle variables $(r,\varphi)$. \par Starting from a conjecture stating that a necessary and sufficient condition for the instability of an equilibrium point is the presence of an invariant ray solution, the authors study the instability in the Lyapunov sense of the origin of the Hamiltonian system assuming the existence of $\mu$ multiple resonances of odd order $s$. This is achieved by proving the existence of an invariant ray solution of the truncated Hamiltonian system up to order $s$. Its existence implies the same instability for the complete Hamiltonian system.