On the coplanar eccentric non restricted co-orbital dynamics

TL;DR

This paper explores the complex phase space of eccentric coplanar co-orbitals in the non-restricted case, revealing topological changes and new configurations as eccentricity increases, especially around 0.5 for equal masses.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of phase space evolution and topological transitions in eccentric co-orbital systems, highlighting the emergence of new configurations and orbit reconnections.

Findings

Topological changes occur at eccentricities around 0.5 for equal mass co-orbitals.

New co-orbital configurations emerge due to phase space reconnections.

Continuous paths form between previously separate trojan domains near L4 and L5.

Abstract

We study the phase space of eccentric coplanar co-orbitals in the non-restricted case. Departing from the quasi-circular case, we describe the evolution of the phase space as the eccentricities increase. We find that over a given value of the eccentricity, around $0.5$ for equal mass co-orbitals, important topological changes occur in the phase space. These changes lead to the emergence of new co-orbital configurations and open a continuous path between the previously distinct trojan domains near the $L_4$ and $L_5$ eccentric Lagrangian equilibria. These topological changes are shown to be linked with the reconnection of families of quasi-periodic orbits of non-maximal dimension.