On the Stability of Periodic Mercury-type Rotations

Abstract

We consider the stability of planar periodic Mercury-type rotations of a rigid body around its center of mass in an elliptical orbit in a central Newtonian field of forces. Mercurytype rotations mean that the body makes 3 turns around its center of mass during 2 revolutions of the center of mass in its orbit (resonance 3:2). These rotations can be 1) symmetrical 2π- periodic, 2) symmetrical 4π-periodic and 3) asymmetrical 4π-periodic. The stability of rotations of type 1) was investigated by A.P.Markeev. In our paper we present a nonlinear stability analysis for some rotations of types 2) and 3) in 3rd- and 4th-order resonant cases, in the nonresonant case and at the boundaries of regions of linear stability.