Expanding solutions to the N-body problem

Susanna Terracini (University of Turin)

We deal, for the classical N-body problem, with the existence of action minimizing half entire expansive solutions with prescribed asymptotic direction and initial configuration of the bodies. We tackle the cases of hyperbolic, hyperbolic-parabolic and parabolic arcs in a unified manner.  Our approach is based on the minimization of a renormalized Lagrangian action, on a suitable functional space. With this new strategy, we are able to confirm the already-known results of the existence of both hyperbolic and parabolic solutions, and we prove for the first time the existence of hyperbolic-parabolic solutions for any prescribed asymptotic expansion in a suitable class. Associated with each element of this class we find a viscosity solution of the Hamilton-Jacobi equation as a linear correction of the value function. Besides, we also manage to give a precise description of the growth of parabolic and hyperbolic-parabolic solutions. 

Finally, we will apply this novel variational approach to detecting oscillating solutions at large in the isosceles restricted three body problem. This is work in collaboration with Davide Polimeni and Jaime Paradela Diaz.