On the orbital stability of planar periodic motions of a rigid body in the Bobylev-Steklov case

We deal with the problem of orbital stability of pendulum-like periodic motions of a heavy rigid body with a fixed point. We suppose that a mass geometry corresponds to the Bobylev-Steklov case. The stability problem is solved in nonlinear setting. In the case of small amplitude oscillations and rotations with large angular velocities the small parameter can be introduced and the problem can be investigated analytically. In the case of unspecified oscillation amplitude or rotational angular velocity the problem is reduced to analysis of stability of a fixed point of the symplectic map generated by the equations of the perturbed motion. The coefficients of the symplectic map are determined numerically. Rigorous results on the orbital stability or instability of unperturbed motion are obtained by analyzing these coefficients.     

The stability of the plane periodic motions of a symmetrical rigid body with a fixed point

A rigorous non-linear analysis of the orbital stability of plane periodic motions (pendulum oscillations and rotations) of a dynamically symmetrical heavy rigid body with one fixed point is carried out. It is assumed that the principal moments of inertia of the rigid body, calculated for the fixed point, are related by the same equation as in the Kovalevskaya case, but here no limitations are imposed on the position of the mass centre of the body. In the case of oscillations of small amplitude and in the case of rotations with high angular velocities, when it is possible to introduce a small parameter, the orbital stability is investigated analytically. For arbitrary values of the parameters, the non-linear problem of orbital stability is reduced to an analysis of the stability of a fixed point of the simplectic mapping, generated by the system of equations of perturbed motion. The simplectic mapping coefficients are calculated numerically, and from their values, using well-known criteria, conclusions are drawn regarding the orbital stability or instability of the periodic motion. It is shown that, when the mass centre lies on the axis of dynamic symmetry (the case of Lagrange integrability), the well-known stability criteria are inapplicable. In this case, the orbital instability of the periodic motions is proved using Chetayev's theorem. The results of the analysis are presented in the form of stability diagrams in the parameter plane of the problem.     

On the orbital stability of pendulum-like motions of a rigid body in the Bobylev-Steklov case

We deal with the problem of orbital stability of pendulum-like periodic motions of a heavy rigid body with a fixed point. We suppose that the geometry of the mass of the body corresponds to the Bobylev-Steklov case. Unperturbed motion represents oscillations or rotations of the body around a principal axis, occupying a fixed horizontal position. The problem of the orbital stability is considered on the basis of a nonlinear analysis.     

The Poincaré Map of Randomly Perturbed Periodic Motion

A system of autonomous differential equations with a stable limit cycle and perturbed by small white noise is analyzed in this work. In the vicinity of the limit cycle of the unperturbed deterministic system, we define, construct, and analyze the Poincaré map of the randomly perturbed periodic motion. We show that the time of the first exit from a small neighborhood of the fixed point of the map, which corresponds to the unperturbed periodic orbit, is well approximated by the geometric distribution. The parameter of the geometric distribution tends to zero together with the noise intensity. Therefore, our result can be interpreted as an estimate of the stability of periodic motion to random perturbations. In addition, we show that the geometric distribution of the first exit times translates into statistical properties of solutions of important differential equation models in applications. To this end, we demonstrate three distinct examples from mathematical neuroscience featuring complex oscillatory patterns characterized by the geometric distribution. We show that in each of these models the statistical properties of emerging oscillations are fully explained by the general properties of randomly perturbed periodic motions identified in this paper.     

A Study of the Motions of an Autonomous Hamiltonian System at a 1:1 Resonance

We examine the motions of an autonomous Hamiltonian system with two degrees of freedom in a neighborhood of an equilibrium point at a 1:1 resonance. It is assumed that the matrix of linearized equations of perturbed motion is reduced to diagonal form and the equilibrium is linearly stable. As an illustration, we consider the problem of the motion of a dynamically symmetric rigid body (satellite) relative to its center of mass in a central Newtonian gravitational field on a circular orbit in a neighborhood of cylindrical precession. The abovementioned resonance case takes place for parameter values corresponding to the spherical symmetry of the body, for which the angular velocity of proper rotation has the same value and direction as the angular velocity of orbital motion of the radius vector of the center of mass. For parameter values close to the resonance point, the problem of the existence, bifurcations and orbital stability of periodic rigid body motions arising from a corresponding relative equilibrium of the reduced system is solved and issues concerning the existence of conditionally periodic motions are discussed.     

Non-linear oscillations of a Hamiltonian system with two degrees of freedom with 2:1 resonance

The motions of an autonomous Hamiltonian system with two degrees of freedom close to an equilibrium position, stable in the linear approximation, are considered. It is assumed that in this neighbourhood the quadratic part of the Hamiltonian of the system is sign-variable, and the ratio of the frequencies of the linear oscillations are close to or equal to two. It is also assumed that the corresponding resonance terms in the third-degree terms of the Hamiltonian are small. The problem of the existence, bifurcations and orbital stability of the periodic motions of the system near the equilibrium position is solved. Conditionally periodic motions of the system are investigated. An estimate is obtained of the region in which the motions of the system are bounded in the neighbourhood of an unstable equilibrium in the case of exact resonance. The motions of a heavy dynamically symmetrical rigid body with a fixed point in the neighbourhood of its permanent rotations around the vertical for 2:1 resonance are considered as an application.     

An algorithm for normalizing Hamiltonian systems in the problem of the orbital stability of periodic motions

A constructive procedure is proposed for constructing equations of perturbed motion convenient for investigating the orbital stability of periodic motion in an autonomous Hamiltonian system with two degrees of freedom. An algorithm for normalizing these equations is described, and formulae for evaluating the coefficients of the normal form are presented. The results are used to investigate the stability of motion in certain special cases of the regular Grioli precession of a heavy rigid body with one fixed point.     

On the Constructive Algorithm for Stability Analysis of an Equilibrium Point of a Periodic Hamiltonian System with Two Degrees of Freedom in the Second-order Resonance Case

This paper is concerned with a nonautonomous Hamiltonian system with two degrees of freedom whose Hamiltonian is a 2π-periodic function of time and analytic in a neighborhood of an equilibrium point. It is assumed that the system exhibits a secondorder resonance, i. e., the system linearized in a neighborhood of the equilibrium point has a double multiplier equal to ?1. The case of general position is considered when the monodromy matrix is not reduced to diagonal form and the equilibrium point is linearly unstable. In this case, a nonlinear analysis is required to draw conclusions on the stability (or instability) of the equilibrium point in the complete system.In this paper, a constructive algorithm for a rigorous stability analysis of the equilibrium point of the above-mentioned system is presented. This algorithm has been developed on the basis of a method proposed in [1]. The main idea of this method is to construct and normalize a symplectic map generated by the phase flow of a Hamiltonian system.It is shown that the normal form of the Hamiltonian function and the generating function of the corresponding symplectic map contain no third-degree terms. Explicit formulae are obtained which allow one to calculate the coefficients of the normal form of the Hamiltonian in terms of the coefficients of the generating function of a symplectic map.The developed algorithm is applied to solve the problem of stability of resonant rotations of a symmetric satellite.     

On the Stability of Periodic Motions of an Autonomous Hamiltonian System in a Critical Case of the Fourth-order Resonance

The problem of orbital stability of a periodic motion of an autonomous two-degreeof- freedom Hamiltonian system is studied. The linearized equations of perturbed motion always have two real multipliers equal to one, because of the autonomy and the Hamiltonian structure of the system. The other two multipliers are assumed to be complex conjugate numbers with absolute values equal to one, and the system has no resonances up to third order inclusive, but has a fourth-order resonance. It is believed that this case is the critical one for the resonance, when the solution of the stability problem requires considering terms higher than the fourth degree in the series expansion of the Hamiltonian of the perturbed motion.Using Lyapunov’s methods and KAM theory, sufficient conditions for stability and instability are obtained, which are represented in the form of inequalities depending on the coefficients of series expansion of the Hamiltonian up to the sixth degree inclusive.     

On the orbital stability of a periodic solution of the equations of motion of a Kovalevskaya gyroscope

The sufficient conditions for the orbital stability of a periodic solution of the equations of motion of a Kovalevskaya gyroscope in the case of Bobylev-Steklov integrability are obtained.

It is difficult to expect Lyapunov stability for the unsteady motions of a heavy solid having a fixed point since a dependence of the vibrations frequency on the initial conditions is characteristic for the simplest of them, i.e. periodic motions /1/. Moreover, a rougher property of periodic solutions of the Euler-Poisson equations, orbital stability /2/, is not the subject of special investigations in the dynamics of a solid. The algorithm of the present investigation utilizes the treatment ascribed Zhukovskii /3/ of orbital stability as the Lyapunov stability of motion for a special selection of the variable playing the part of time (see /4/ also) and the Chetayev method /5/ of constructing Lyapunov functions from the first integrals of the equations of perturbed motion. This latter circumstance enables the Chetayev method to be put in one series with the methods used in /1, 4, 6–9/, etc.     

On the stability of resonant rotation of a symmetric satellite in an elliptical orbit

We deal with the stability problem of resonant rotation of a symmetric rigid body about its center of mass in an elliptical orbit. The resonant rotation is a planar motion such that the body completes one rotation in absolute space during two orbital revolutions of its center of mass. In [1–3] the stability analysis of the above resonant rotation with respect to planar perturbations has been performed in detail.In this paper we study the stability of the resonant rotation in an extended formulation taking into account both planar and spatial perturbations. By analyzing linearized equations of perturbed motion, we found eccentricity intervals, where the resonant rotation is unstable. Outside of these intervals a nonlinear stability study has been performed and subintervals of formal stability and stability for most initial data have been found. In addition, the instability of the resonant rotation was established at several eccentricity values corresponding to the third and fourth order resonances.Our study has also shown that in linear approximation the spatial perturbations have no effect on the stability of the resonant rotation, whereas in a nonlinear system they can lead to its instability at some resonant values of the eccentricity.     

The dynamics of a rigid body colliding with a rigid surface

Basic investigation techniques, algorithms, and results are presented for nonlinear oscillations and stability of steady rotations and periodic motions of a rigid body, colliding with a rigid surface, in a uniform gravity field.      

The comparison method in asymptotic stability problems

The problem of the stability of the unperturbed motion of a non-autonomous system is investigated on the basis of comparison equations. The principle of the quasi-invariance of the positive limit set of a perturbed motion is derived, which enables a new form of the necessary conditions for the stability of an unperturbed motion to be established using Lyapunov vector functions of fixed and constant sign. Problems concerning the stability conditions of unsteady motions and the stabilization of programme motions of mechanical systems are solved.     

Nonlinear free oscillations of a rotating solid body in a Newtonian force field

Nonlinear free oscillations of a rotating axisymmetrical solid body are considered with respect to the center of mass and with the body moving in a Newtonian force field. To construct periodic solutions of nonlinear differential equations of the motion, some algorithms, which are based on a modification of the extension method of solution with respect to a parameter, are used. The stability of nonlinear oscillations of the rotating solid body are studied with respect to stationary motions, some amplitude-frequency characteristics and forms of oscillations of the body are formulated for different values of its inertial parameters.Translated from Dinamicheskie Sistemy, No. 8, pp. 3–8, 1989.     

Non-linear oscillations of a Hamiltonian system with 2:1 resonance

Non-linear oscillations of an autonomous Hamiltonian system with two degrees of freedom in the neighbourhood of a stable equilibrium are considered. It is assumed that the frequency ratio of the linear oscillations is close to or equal to two, and that the Hamiltonian is sign-definite in the neighbourhood of the equilibrium. A solution is presented to the problem of the orbital stability of periodic motions emanating from the equilibrium position. Conditionally periodic motions of an approximate system are analysed taking into account terms of order up to and including three in the normalized Hamiltonian. The KAM theory is used to consider the problem of maintaining these motions taking into account fourth- and higher-order terms in the series expansion of the Hamiltonian in a sufficiently small neighbourhood of the equilibrium. The results are used to investigate non-linear oscillations of an elastic pendulum.     

Non-linear oscillations of a 1:1 resonance Hamiltonian system

The non-linear oscillations of an autonomous two-degree-of-freedom Hamiltonian system in the neighbourhood of its stable equilibrium position are considered. It is assumed that the Hamilton function is sign-definite in the neighbourhood of the equilibrium position and that the values of the frequencies of its linear oscillations are equal or close to one another (1:1 resonance). The investigation is carried out using the example of the problem of the motion of a dynamically symmetrical rigid body (satellite) about its centre of mass in a circular orbit in a central Newtonian gravitational field. In this problem there is relative equilibrium of the rigid body in the orbital system of coordinates, for which its axis of dynamic symmetry is directed along the velocity vector of the centre of mass. Resonance occurs when the ratio of the polar and equatorial principal central moments of inertia is equal to 4/3 or is close to it. The problem of the existence, bifurcation and orbital stability of the periodic motions of a rigid body generated from its relative equilibrium is solved. Some aspects of the existence of quasiperiodic motions are also considered.     

Resonant periodic motions of Hamiltonian systems with one degree of freedom when the Hamiltonian is degenerate

The motions of a non-autonomous Hamiltonian system with one degree of freedom which is periodic in time and where the Hamiltonian contains a small parameter is considered. The origin of coordinates of the phase space is the equilibrium position of the unperturbed or complete system, which is stable in the linear approximation. It is assumed that there is degeneracy in the unperturbed Hamiltonian when account is taken of terms no higher than the fourth degree (the frequency of the small linear oscillations depends on the amplitude) and, in this case, one of the resonances of up to the fourth order inclusive is realized in the system. Model Hamiltonians are constructed for each case of resonance and a qualitative investigation of the motions of the model system is carried out. Using Poincaré's theory of periodic motions and KAM-theory, a rigorous solution is given of the problem of the existence, bifurcations and stability of the periodic motions of the initial system, which are analytic with respect to fractional powers of the small parameter. The resonant periodic motions (in the case of the degeneracy being considered) of a spherical pendulum with an oscillating suspension point are investigated as an application.     

The orbital stability of periodic motions of a Hamiltonian system with two degrees of freedom in the case of 3:1 resonance

The problem of the orbital stability of periodic motions, produced from an equilibrium position of an autonomous Hamiltonian system with two degrees of freedom is considered. The Hamiltonian function is assumed to be analytic and alternating in a certain neighbourhood of the equilibrium position, the eigenvalues of the matrix of the linearized system are pure imaginary, and the frequencies of the linear oscillations satisfy a 3:1 ratio. The problem of the orbital stability of periodic motions is solved in a rigorous non-linear formulation. It is shown that short-period motions are orbitally stable with the sole exception of the case corresponding to bifurcation of short-period and long-period motions. In this particular case there is an unstable short-period orbit. It is established that, if the equilibrium position is stable, then, depending on the values of the system parameters, there is only one family of orbitally stable long-period motions, or two families of orbitally stable and one family of unstable long-period motions. If the equilibrium position is unstable, there is only one family of unstable long-period motions or one family of orbitally stable and two families of unstable long-period motions. Special cases, corresponding to bifurcation of long-period motions or degeneration in the problem of stability, when an additional analysis is necessary, may be exceptions. The problem of the orbital stability of the periodic motions of a dynamically symmetrical satellite close to its steady rotation is considered as an application.     

A Nonholonomic Model of the Paul Trap

In this paper, equations of motion for the problem of a ball rolling without slipping on a rotating hyperbolic paraboloid are obtained. Integrals of motions and an invariant measure are found. A detailed linear stability analysis of the ball’s rotations at the saddle point of the hyperbolic paraboloid is made. A three-dimensional Poincaré map generated by the phase flow of the problem is numerically investigated and the existence of a region of bounded trajectories in a neighborhood of the saddle point of the paraboloid is demonstrated. It is shown that a similar problem of a ball rolling on a rotating paraboloid, considered within the framework of the rubber model, can be reduced to a Hamiltonian system which includes the Brower problem as a particular case.     

The critical case of a pair of zero roots in a two-degree-of-freedom hamiltonian system

The problem of the motion of an autonomous two-degree-of-freedom Hamiltonian system in the neighbourhood of its equilibrium position is considered. It is assumed that the characteristic equation of the linearized system has a pair of pure imaginary roots. The roots of the other pair are assumed to be close to or equal to zero, and in the latter case non-simple elementary dividers correspond to these roots. The problem of the existence, bifurcations and orbital stability of families of periodic motions, generated from the equilibrium position, is solved. Conditionally periodic motions are analysed. The problem of the boundedness of the trajectories of the system in the neighbourhood of the equilibrium position in the case when it is Lyapunov unstable, is considered. Non-linear oscillations of an artificial satellite in the region of its steady rotation around the normal to the orbit plane are investigated as an application.