One-parameter families of Sturm-Liouville eigenfunctions and of periodic solutions for a class of nonlinear Hill's equations (Q798490)

The author considers the non-linear equation \((*)\quad z''(\theta)+nz(\theta)=\beta\Delta (\theta)F(z(\theta)),\) where n, \(\beta\) are real scalars and \(\Delta\) (\(\theta)\) is a smooth periodic function of period T. F is smooth, real and subquadratic, i.e. \(F=G'\) and \(| G(t)|\leq \eta t^ 2\). Such equations arise in the study of cyclic accelerators where the orbits of the particles are periodically perturbed. If \(\Delta\) (\(\theta)\) is even it is shown that there exists a countable infinity of non-trivial, classical, even periodic and also odd periodic orbits. As particular examples the classical Mathieu equation is considered, where \(\Delta (\theta)=\cos 2\theta\) and \(F(z)=z\), and also the non-linear case where \(F(t)=erf(t)(2/\sqrt{\pi})\int^{t}_{0}e^{-\phi^ 2}d\phi.\)