Chaotic dynamics of a spinless axisymmetric extended body around a Schwarzschild black hole
arXiv:2207.04341 · doi:10.1103/PhysRevD.106.024016
Abstract
We investigate the long-term orbital dynamics of spinless extended bodies in Schwarzschild geometry, and show that periodic deviations from spherical symmetry in the shape of a test body may trigger the onset of chaos. We do this by applying Dixon's formalism at quadrupolar order to a nearly spherical body whose shape oscillates between a prolate and an oblate spheroid. The late-time chaotic behavior is then verified by applying Melnikov's method.
8 pages, 3 figures. To appear in Phys Rev D