Non-linear oscillations of a hamiltonian system with one degree of freedom and fourth-order resonance

Non-linear oscillations of a 2π-periodic Hamiltonian system with one degree of freedom are considered . It is assumed that the origin of coordinates is an equilibrium position, the linearized system is assumed to be stable, its characteristic exponents ±iv are pure imaginary, and the value of 4v is close to an integer. When the methods of classical perturbation theory are used, the investigation reduces to an analysis of a model system which can be described by the typical Hamiltonian of problems on the motion of Hamiltonian systems with one degree of freedom in the case of fourth-order resonance. The system is analysed in detail. The results for the model system are applied to the total system using Poincaré's theory of periodic motion and the KAM-theory. The existence, number and stability of 8π-periodic motions of the initial system are investigated. Trajectories of motion which start in a fairly small neighbourhood of the origin of coordinates are bounded. An estimate of the size of that neighbourhood is given. The examples considered are of a point mass above a curve in the shape of an ellipse which collides with the curve, and plane non-linear oscillations of a satellite in an elliptical orbit in the case of fourth-order resonance.