The dynamics of the de Sitter resonance

Abstract

We study the dynamics of the de Sitter resonance, namely the stable equilibrium configuration of the first three Galilean satellites. We clarify the relation between this family of configurations and the more general Laplace resonant states. In order to describe the dynamics around the de Sitter stable equilibrium, a one-degree of freedom Hamiltonian normal form is constructed and exploited to identify initial conditions leading to the two families. The normal form Hamiltonian is used to check the accuracy in the location of the equilibrium positions. Besides, it gives a measure of how sensitive it is with respect to the different perturbations acting on the system. By looking at the phase-plane of the normal form, we can identify a \sl Laplace-like \rm configuration, which highlights many substantial aspects of the observed one.