On transversal connecting orbits of Lagrangian systems in non-stationary force field: Newton-Kantorovich approach

Abstract

We consider a natural Lagrangian system defined on a complete Riemannian manifold being subjected to the action of a non-stationary force field with potential $U(q,t)=f(t)V(q)$. It is assumed that the factor $f(t)$ tends to $\infty$ as $t\to \pm \infty$ and vanishes at a unique point $t_0\in \mathbb{R}$. Let $X_{+}$, $X_{-}$ denote the sets of isolated critical points of $V(x)$ at which $U(x,t)$ as a function of $x$ attains its maximum for any fixed $t>t_0$ and $t<t_0$, respectively. Under nondegeneracy conditions on points of $X_{\pm }$ we apply Newton-Kantorovich type method to study the existence of transversal doubly asymptotic trajectories connecting $X_{-}$ and $X_{+}$. Conditions on the Riemannian manifold and the potential which guarantee the existence of such orbits are presented. Such connecting trajectories are obatained by continuation of geodesics defined in a vicinity of the point $t_0$ to the whole real line.