Stability diagram for 4D linear periodic systems with applications to homographic solutions (Q2499237)

The authors consider a familiy of 4-dimensional Hamiltonian time-periodic linear systems depending on three parameters \(\lambda_1\), \(\lambda_2\) and \(\varepsilon\) such that the unperturbed system with \(\varepsilon=0\) becomes autonomous. Close to resonant curves, where the unperturbed system has multiple eigenvalues, the normal form is calculated to sufficiently high order to cancel the time dependence and detect changes in stability. Investigating the normal form equations, the authors derive the stability regions for small \(\varepsilon\) in the parameter plane. The complicated structure of these regions is displayed in several diagrams. The authors pay special attention to the d'Alembert case, where the harmonics of order \(k\) in the perturbation terms contain at least \(\varepsilon^k\) as factor. The results are applied to the study of the linear stability of homographic solutions of the generalized planar three-body problem, for some homogeneous gravity potential of degree \(-\alpha\), \(0 < \alpha < 2\), including the Newtonian case \(\alpha=1\).