Asymptotic Orbits as Terminations of Families of Periodic Orbits in the Copenhagen Problem with and without Radiation Pressure

Abstract

Heteroclinic asymptotic orbits of the Copenhagen problem are important as they can be combined in pairs to form infinite period terminations of families of periodic orbits. These families and their terminations are considered here as limiting cases of the photogravitational restricted problem with equal masses and radiation factors of primaries. The terminating asymptotic orbits, and the corresponding families, are first computed as homoclinic spirals at the inner collinear equilibrium point in the case of strong radiation and then continued numerically to reach the gravitational Copenhagen problem in which these terminating orbits have evolved to heteroclinic orbits at the triangular points.