0
2013
Impact Factor

# Richard Moeckel

Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
School of Mathematics, University of Minnesota

## Publications:

 Moeckel R. Embedding the Kepler Problem as a Surface of Revolution 2018, vol. 23, no. 6, pp.  695-703 Abstract Solutions of the planar Kepler problem with fixed energy $h$ determine geodesics of the corresponding Jacobi–Maupertuis metric. This is a Riemannian metric on $\mathbb{R}^2$ if $h\geqslant 0$ or on a disk $\mathcal{D}\subset \mathbb{R}^2$ if $h<0$. The metric is singular at the origin (the collision singularity) and also on the boundary of the disk when $h<0$. The Kepler problem and the corresponding metric are invariant under rotations of the plane and it is natural to wonder whether the metric can be realized as a surface of revolution in $\mathbb{R}^3$ or some other simple space. In this note, we use elementary methods to study the geometry of the Kepler metric and the embedding problem. Embeddings of the metrics with $h\geqslant0$ as surfaces of revolution in $\mathbb{R}^3$ are constructed explicitly but no such embedding exists for $h<0$ due to a problem near the boundary of the disk. We prove a theorem showing that the same problem occurs for every analytic central force potential. Returning to the Kepler metric, we rule out embeddings in the three-sphere or hyperbolic space, but succeed in constructing an embedding in four-dimensional Minkowski spacetime. Indeed, there are many such embeddings. Keywords: celestial mechanics, Jacobi–Maupertuis metric, surfaces of revolution Citation: Moeckel R.,  Embedding the Kepler Problem as a Surface of Revolution, Regular and Chaotic Dynamics, 2018, vol. 23, no. 6, pp. 695-703 DOI:10.1134/S1560354718060059
 Moeckel R. Symbolic dynamics in the planar three-body problem 2007, vol. 12, no. 5, pp.  449-475 Abstract A chaotic invariant set is constructed for the planar three-body problem. The orbits in the invariant set exhibit many close approaches to triple collision and also excursions near infinity. The existence proof is based on finding appropriate "windows" in the phase space which are stretched across one another by flow-defined Poincaré maps. Keywords: Celestial Mechanics, three-body problem Citation: Moeckel R.,  Symbolic dynamics in the planar three-body problem, Regular and Chaotic Dynamics, 2007, vol. 12, no. 5, pp. 449-475 DOI:0.1134/S1560354707050012