Yuyan Gao

We consider a slow-fast Hamiltonian system with one fast angle variable (a fast phase) whose frequency vanishes on some surface in the space of slow variables (a resonant surface). Systems of such form appear in the study of dynamics of charged particles in an inhomogeneous magnetic field under the influence of high-frequency electrostatic waves. Trajectories of the system averaged over the fast phase cross the resonant surface. The fast phase makes $\sim \frac 1\varepsilon$ turns before arrival at the resonant surface ($\varepsilon$ is a small parameter of the problem). An asymptotic formula for the value of the phase at the arrival at the resonance was derived earlier in the context of study of charged particle dynamics on the basis of heuristic considerations without any estimates of its accuracy. We provide a rigorous derivation of this formula and prove that its accuracy is $O(\sqrt \varepsilon)$ (up to a logarithmic correction). This estimate for the accuracy is optimal.