Exponential Stability in the Perturbed Central Force Problem

Abstract

We consider the spatial central force problem with a real analytic potential. We prove that for all analytic potentials, but for the Keplerian and the harmonic ones, the Hamiltonian fulfills a nondegeneracy property needed for the applicability of Nekhoroshev’s theorem. We deduce stability of the actions over exponentially long times when the system is subject to an arbitrary analytic perturbation. The case where the central system is put in interaction with a slow system is also studied and stability over exponentially long time is proved.