2 research outputs found
Linear stability in billiards with potential
A general formula for the linearized Poincar\'e map of a billiard with a
potential is derived. The stability of periodic orbits is given by the trace of
a product of matrices describing the piecewise free motion between reflections
and the contributions from the reflections alone. For the case without
potential this gives well known formulas. Four billiards with potentials for
which the free motion is integrable are treated as examples: The linear
gravitational potential, the constant magnetic field, the harmonic potential,
and a billiard in a rotating frame of reference, imitating the restricted three
body problem. The linear stability of periodic orbits with period one and two
is analyzed with the help of stability diagrams, showing the essential
parameter dependence of the residue of the periodic orbits for these examples.Comment: 22 pages, LaTex, 4 Figure