Spatial p-q Resonant Orbits of the RTBP

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to extend the study of the so called p-q resonant orbits of the planar restricted three-body problem to the spatial case. The p-q resonant orbits are solutions of the restricted three-body problem which have consecutive close encounters with the smaller primary. If E, M and P denote the larger primary, the smaller one and the infinitesimal body, respectively, then p and q are the number of revolutions that P gives around M and M around E, respectively, between two consecutive close approaches. For fixed values of p and q and suitable initial conditions on a sphere of radius μ^α around the smaller primary, we will derive expressions for the final position and velocity on this sphere for the orbits under consideration.