Author(s)

Niraj Pathak¹, R. K. Sharma², V. O. Thomas³

¹Department of Mathematics, Dharmsinh Desai University, Nadiad, India.
²Department of Aerospace Engineering, Karunya University, Coimbatore, India.
³Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science, The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda.

We analyze the periodic orbits, quasi periodic orbits and chaotic orbits in the photo gravitational Sun-Saturn system incorporating actual oblateness of Saturn in the planar circular restricted three body problem. In this paper, we study the effect of solar radiation pressure on the location of Sun centered and Saturn centered orbits, its diameter, semi major axis and eccentricity by taking different values of solar radiation pressure q and different values of Jacobi constant “C”, and by considering actual oblateness of Saturn using Poincare surface of section (PSS) method. It is ob-served that by the introduction of perturbing force due to solar radiation pressure admissible range of Jacobi constant C decreases, it is also observed that as value of C decreases the number of islands decreases and as a result the number of periodic and quasi periodic orbits decreases.Fur-ther, the periodic orbits around Saturn and Sun moves towards Sun by decreasing perturbation due to solar radiation pressure q for a specific choice of Jacobi constant C. It is also observed that due to solar radiation pressure, semi major axis and eccentricity of Sun centered periodic orbit reduces, whereas, due to solar radiation pressure uniform change in semi major axis and eccen-tricity of Saturn centered periodic orbits is observed.

Restricted Three Body Problem, Sun-Saturn System, Periodic Orbits, Quasi Periodic Orbits, Chaotic Orbits, Photo Gravitation, Oblateness, Poincare Surface Section

Pathak, N. , Sharma, R. and Thomas, V. (2016) Evolution of Periodic Orbits in the Sun-Saturn System. International Journal of Astronomy and Astrophysics, 6, 175-197. doi: 10.4236/ijaa.2016.62015.