Periodic oscillations in the restricted hip-hop \(2N+1\)-body problem (Q6156558)

The article starts with a hip-hop orbit of the \(2N\)-body problem which is described in [the second author et al., SIAM J. Appl. Dyn. Syst. 22, No. 2, 744--764 (2023; Zbl 1524.70037)]. The relative motion of the \(2N\) bodies is periodic of period \(T\). Two regular \(N\)-gons oscillate vertically while they rotate with respect to the vertical axis and change radius. Twice in a period they form a regular \(2N\)-gon. The vertical velocity of one of the \(N\)-gons at such instant is denoted by \(b\). The orbit is proved to exist for any small value of the parameter \(b\). The authors now add a test particle on the vertical axis, and prove that it has a periodic motion of period \(kT(b)\) for any small \(b\), for some integer \(k\) and for some initial velocity \(u\) of the test particle. A numerical example obtained by analytic continuation is given. The proof seems a priori more complicated than in the similar known Sitnikov cases since the hip-hop orbit is not as simple as a Keplerian orbit. But the authors argue with a topological argument which gives the result without analytical complication.