TY - JOUR TI - Instabilities and stickiness in a 3D rotating galactic potential AU - Katsanikas, M. AU - Patsis, P.A. AU - Contopoulos, G. JO - International Journal of Bifurcation and Chaos PY - 2013 VL - 23 TODO - 2 SP - null PB - World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd. SN - 0218-1274 TODO - 10.1142/S021812741330005X TODO - Bifurcation (mathematics); Chaos theory; Dynamical systems; Eigenvalues and eigenfunctions; Hamiltonians; Phase space methods, Bifurcation points; D surfaces; Four-dimensional space; Hamiltonian systems; Invariant manifolds; Transition point; Unstable manifold; Unstable periodic orbits, Periodic structures TODO - We study the dynamics in the neighborhood of simple and double unstable periodic orbits in a rotating 3D autonomous Hamiltonian system of galactic type. In order to visualize the four-dimensional spaces of section, we use the method of color and rotation. We investigate the structure of the invariant manifolds that we found in the neighborhood of simple and double unstable periodic orbits in 4D spaces of section. We consider orbits in the neighborhood of the families x1v2, belonging to the x1 tree, and the z-axis (the rotational axis of our system). Close to the transition points from stability to simple instability, in the neighborhood of the bifurcated simple unstable x1v2 periodic orbits, we encounter the phenomenon of stickiness as the asymptotic curves of the unstable manifold surround regions of the phase space occupied by rotational tori existing in the region. For larger energies, away from the bifurcating point, the consequents of the chaotic orbits form clouds of points with mixing of color in their 4D representations. In the case of double instability, close to x1v2 orbits, we find clouds of points in the four-dimensional spaces of section. However, in some cases of double unstable periodic orbits belonging to the z-axis family we can visualize the associated unstable eigensurface. Chaotic orbits close to the periodic orbit remain sticky to this surface for long times (of the order of a Hubble time or more). Among the orbits we studied, we found those close to the double unstable orbits of the x1v2 family having the largest diffusion speed. The sticky chaotic orbits close to the bifurcation point of the simple unstable x1v2 orbit and close to the double unstable z-axis orbit that we have examined, have comparable diffusion speeds. These speeds are much slower than of the orbits in the neighborhood of x1v2 simple unstable periodic orbits away from the bifurcating point, or of the double unstable orbits of the same family having very different eigenvalues along the corresponding unstable eigendirections. © 2013 World Scientific Publishing Company. ER -