# On relative normal modes

## 1. Introduction.

In this paper we generalize the Weinstein-Moser theorem (\[W1, Ms, W2, MnRS, B\] and references therein) on the nonlinear normal modes near an equilibrium in a Hamiltonian system to a theorem on the relative periodic orbits near a relative equilibrium in a symmetric Hamiltonian system.

Let $`M`$ be a symplectic manifold, with a Hamiltonian action of a connected Lie group $`G`$ and a moment map $`\mathrm{\Phi }:M𝔤^{}`$. Recall that an orbit of the Hamiltonian vector field $`X_h`$ of a $`G`$-invariant Hamiltonian $`hC^{\mathrm{}}(M)^G`$ is a relative equilibrium if its image in the orbit space $`M/G`$ is a point, and that an orbit of $`X_h`$ is a relative periodic orbit if its image in $`M/G`$ is a closed curve.

Later improvements of the Weinstein-Moser theorem lend themselves to generalizations by our method; to streamline the presentation, however, we shall treat only the original version:

###### Weinstein’s Theorem.

\[W1\] Let $`h`$ be a Hamiltonian on a symplectic vector space $`V`$ such that its differential at the origin $`dh(0)`$ is zero and its Hessian at the origin $`d^2h(0)`$ is positive definite. Then for every small $`\epsilon >0`$, the energy level $`h^1(h(0)+\epsilon )`$ carries at least $`\frac{1}{2}dimV`$ periodic orbits of the Hamiltonian vector field of $`h`$.

Now suppose $`xM`$ lies on a relative equilibrium for a $`G`$-invariant Hamiltonian $`h`$. If $`x`$ is a regular point of the moment map $`\mathrm{\Phi }`$, then the reduced space at $`\mu =\mathrm{\Phi }(x)`$ is smooth near the image $`\overline{x}`$ of $`x`$. Provided appropriate conditions hold on the Hessian of the reduced Hamiltonian, Weinstein’s theorem applied to the reduced system guarantees at least $`\frac{1}{2}dim(\text{reduced space})`$ periodic orbits, and hence as many families of relative periodic orbits near the relative equilibrium. (If $`x`$ lies on a relative periodic orbit, then the orbit through $`gx`$ is relative periodic also for every $`gG`$.) On the other hand, if $`x`$ is a singular point of $`\mathrm{\Phi }`$, then the reduced space at $`\mu `$ is a stratified space, and the reduced dynamics preserves the stratification \[AMM, SL\]. Unless the stratum through $`\overline{x}`$ is an isolated point, we have again $`\frac{1}{2}dim(\text{stratum})`$ families of relative periodic orbits, provided appropriate conditions hold on the Hessian of the restriction of the reduced Hamiltonian to the stratum. But what if the stratum through $`\overline{x}`$ is an isolated point? It is difficult to make sense of Hessians on singular spaces.

We shall show that in this case also there are families of relative periodic orbits near the relative equilibrium provided a certain substitute for the Hessian is definite and the isotropy group $`G_\mu `$ of $`\mu `$ is a torus. The proof amounts to a computation in ‘good coordinates’ that allows us to reduce our problem to Weinstein’s theorem. We proceed via the following ‘correspondence theorem’:

###### Theorem 1.

Let $`M`$ be a symplectic manifold, with a Hamiltonian action of a connected Lie group $`G`$ and a moment map $`\mathrm{\Phi }:M𝔤^{}`$, and let $`hC^{\mathrm{}}(M)^G`$ be a $`G`$-invariant Hamiltonian.

Suppose $`xM`$ lies on a relative equilibrium for $`h`$ and the isotropy group of $`\mathrm{\Phi }(x)`$ is a torus. Then there exist a symplectic vector space $`V`$ with a Hamiltonian action of the isotropy group $`G_x`$ of $`x`$ and a $`G_x`$-invariant Hamiltonian $`h_VC^{\mathrm{}}(V)^{G_x}`$ such that

1. the origin $`0V`$ is an equilibrium for $`h_V`$;
2. the Hessian $`d^2h_V(0)`$ of $`h_V`$ can be computed in terms of $`h`$;
3. every $`G_x`$-relative periodic orbit for $`h_V`$ on $`V`$ sufficiently close to the origin gives rise to a family of $`G`$-relative periodic orbits for $`h`$ on $`M`$.

The meaning of the vector space $`V`$ and of the quadratic form $`d^2h_V(0)`$ is as follows. Note that

$$xM\text{ lies on a relative equilibrium for }hd(h\mathrm{\Phi }|\xi )(x)=0\text{ for some }\xi 𝔤.$$

The vector $`\xi `$ is called a velocity of $`x`$. Velocity is not unique: any two velocities of $`x`$ differ by a vector in the isotropy Lie algebra $`𝔤_x`$ of $`x`$.

The function $`h\mathrm{\Phi }|\xi `$ is constant along the orbit $`G_\mu x`$, where as above $`G_\mu `$ is the isotropy group of $`\mu =\mathrm{\Phi }(x)`$. The form $`d^2(h\mathrm{\Phi }|\xi )(x)|_{\mathrm{ker}d\mathrm{\Phi }(x)}`$ is therefore always degenerate and descends to a well-defined form on the vector space $`V:=\mathrm{ker}d\mathrm{\Phi }(x)/T_x(G_\mu x)`$; alternatively we can think of $`V`$ as the maximal symplectic subspace of $`\mathrm{ker}d\mathrm{\Phi }(x)`$. $`V`$ is called the symplectic slice at $`x`$. It follows from the local normal form theorem of Guillemin-Sternberg and Marle \[GS, Mr\] that there exists a $`G_x`$-invariant symplectic submanifold $`\mathrm{\Sigma }`$ passing through $`x`$ such that $`T_x\mathrm{\Sigma }=V`$. Thus, locally $`\mathrm{\Sigma }V`$ as symplectic manifolds, with $`x`$ corresponding to the origin in $`V`$. The function $`h_V`$ in Theorem 1 is the restriction $`(h\mathrm{\Phi }|\xi )|_\mathrm{\Sigma }=(h\mathrm{\Phi }|\xi )|_V`$. Since Hessians are functorial, $`d^2h_V(0)=d^2(h\mathrm{\Phi }|\xi )|_V(0)=d^2(h\mathrm{\Phi }|\xi )(x)|_V.`$ This notion of Hessian has been used in \[LS, O, OR\] to study the stability and bifurcation of relative equilibria at singular points of the moment map.

As an example of applications of Theorem 1, we combine it with Weinstein’s theorem to obtain:

###### Corollary.

Let $`M`$, $`G`$, $`\mathrm{\Phi }:M𝔤^{}`$, $`hC^{\mathrm{}}(M)^G`$ be as in Theorem 1. Suppose $`xM`$ lies on a relative equilibrium for $`h`$ and the isotropy group of $`\mathrm{\Phi }(x)`$ is a torus; call $`V`$ the symplectic slice at $`x`$. If there is a velocity $`\xi `$ of $`x`$ for which $`d^2(h\mathrm{\Phi }|\xi )(x)|_V`$ is positive definite, then for every small $`\epsilon >0`$, the level set $`\{yM(h\mathrm{\Phi }|\xi )(y)=(h\mathrm{\Phi }|\xi )(x)+\epsilon \}`$ carries families of relative periodic orbits.

We expect that the assumption on the isotropy group of $`\mathrm{\Phi }(x)`$ being a torus can be dropped, but the proof is unlikely to be quite so simple. In case $`G`$ is compact, the assumption is satisfied generically.

## 2.  Proof of Theorem 1.

Let $`M`$, $`G`$, $`\mathrm{\Phi }:M𝔤^{}`$, $`hC^{\mathrm{}}(M)^G`$ be as in the statement of Theorem 1. We are supposing that $`xM`$ lies on a relative equilibrium for $`h`$ and that the isotropy group $`G_\mu `$ of $`\mu =\mathrm{\Phi }(x)`$ is a torus.

First, we show that it suffices to consider the case when the whole $`G`$ is a torus. Since $`G_\mu `$ is compact, we can produce an $`Ad^{}(G_\mu )`$-invariant inner product on $`𝔤^{}`$ and take the corresponding $`G_\mu `$-equivariant splitting $`𝔤=𝔤_\mu 𝔥`$. Then a small enough $`G_\mu `$-invariant neighborhood $`B`$ of $`\mu `$ in the affine plane $`\mu +𝔥^{}`$ is transverse to the moment map (here $`𝔥^{}`$ denotes the annihilator of $`𝔥`$ in $`𝔤`$). Hence $`R:=\mathrm{\Phi }^1(B)`$ is a $`G_\mu `$-invariant submanifold of $`M`$ containing $`x`$. In fact, by the symplectic cross-section theorem of Guillemin and Sternberg (cf. \[GLS\], Corollary 2.3.6), $`R`$ is a symplectic submanifold of $`M`$ and the action of $`G_\mu `$ on $`R`$ is Hamiltonian; the moment map for this action is the restriction of $`\mathrm{\Phi }`$ to $`R`$ followed by the natural projection $`𝔤^{}𝔤_\mu ^{}`$. Since $`𝔤^{}𝔤_\mu ^{}`$ restricted to $`\mu +𝔥^{}`$ is an isomorphism, the moment map for the action of $`G_\mu `$ on $`R`$ is $`\mathrm{\Phi }|_R`$ up to a linear isomorphism. It follows that

$$\mathrm{ker}d\mathrm{\Phi }(y)=\mathrm{ker}d(\mathrm{\Phi }|_R)(y)$$

for every $`yR`$ (cf. \[LS\], Lemma 2.5). Moreover, because $`h`$ is $`G`$-invariant, the flow of $`X_h`$ preserves the fibers of the moment map, and so the flow preserves $`R`$. It follows that

$$(X_h)|_R=X_{(h|_R)}$$

(cf. \[L\], p.218). Thus, we have found a Hamiltonian sub-system $`(R,G_\mu ,\mathrm{\Phi }|_R,h|_R)`$ for which the symmetry group $`G_\mu `$ is a torus. Passing to this sub-system, we may and shall assume without loss of generality that $`G`$ is a torus and $`G=G_\mu `$.

Second, we construct the Hamiltonian $`h_V`$. The connected component $`K`$ of $`1`$ in the isotropy group $`G_x`$ of $`x`$ is a torus and has a complementary torus $`L`$, so that $`G=L\times K`$. The finite abelian group $`\mathrm{\Gamma }=G_x/K`$ may be regarded as a subgroup of $`L`$. Then $`\mathrm{\Gamma }`$ acts symplectically (by the lifted action) on $`T^{}L=L\times 𝔩^{}`$ and on the symplectic slice $`V`$ at $`x`$. Hence $`\mathrm{\Gamma }`$ acts diagonally on $`T^{}L\times V`$. Note that $`G`$ too acts on $`T^{}L\times V`$: $`L`$ acts on its own cotangent bundle and $`K`$ acts on $`V`$. Hence $`G`$ acts in a Hamiltonian fashion on $`(T^{}L\times V)/\mathrm{\Gamma }`$. The orbit of $`[1,0,0](T^{}L\times V)/\mathrm{\Gamma }`$ is isotropic and is isomorphic to $`G/(\mathrm{\Gamma }\times K)Gx`$. By the equivariant isotropic embedding theorem, there exist $`G`$-invariant neighborhoods $`U_0`$ of $`[1,0,0]`$ in $`(T^{}L\times V)/\mathrm{\Gamma }`$ and $`U`$ of $`x`$ in $`M`$ and an equivariant symplectomorphism $`\sigma :U_0U`$ such that $`\sigma ([1,0,0])=x`$ and the derivative $`d\sigma ([1,0,0])`$ sends $`VT_{[1,0,0]}(T^{}L\times V)/\mathrm{\Gamma }`$ to $`V\mathrm{ker}d\mathrm{\Phi }(x)T_xM`$ by the identity map. Define $`\stackrel{~}{h}=\sigma ^{}(h\mathrm{\Phi }|\xi )`$. Because $`G`$ is assumed to be abelian, $`\xi `$ is trivially in the center of $`𝔤`$, and so $`\stackrel{~}{h}`$ is $`G`$-invariant. At this juncture it is convenient to pretend that $`U_0=(T^{}L\times V)/\mathrm{\Gamma }`$. By the invariance of $`\stackrel{~}{h}C^{\mathrm{}}((T^{}L\times V)/\mathrm{\Gamma })^{L\times K}`$, $`\stackrel{~}{h}([l,\lambda ,v])=\stackrel{~}{h}([1,\lambda ,v])`$ for all $`(l,\lambda ,v)L\times 𝔩^{}\times V`$. Now define $`h_V(v)=\stackrel{~}{h}([1,0,v])`$. This $`h_VC^{\mathrm{}}(V)^{\mathrm{\Gamma }\times K}`$ is the desired Hamiltonian: we have

$$dh_V(0)=d\stackrel{~}{h}([1,0,0])|_V=0$$

and

$$d^2h_V(0)=d^2\stackrel{~}{h}([1,0,0])|_V=d^2\left(\sigma ^{}(h\mathrm{\Phi }|\xi )\right)([1,0,0])|_V=\sigma ^{}\left(d^2(h\mathrm{\Phi }|\xi )(x)|_V\right).$$

Third and last, we prove that relative periodic orbits for $`h_V`$ give rise to relative periodic orbits for $`h`$. Consider the fully reduced system $`(P,h_P)`$ obtained by reducing the system $`(V,h_V)`$ by the action of $`\mathrm{\Gamma }\times K`$. We can arrive at $`(P,h_P)`$ also by reducing the system $`((T^{}L\times V)/\mathrm{\Gamma },\stackrel{~}{h})`$ by the action of $`G=L\times K`$. Thus, relative periodic orbits for $`h_V`$ correspond to periodic orbits for $`h_P`$, which in turn give rise to relative periodic orbits for $`\stackrel{~}{h}`$, or equivalently to relative periodic orbits for $`h\mathrm{\Phi }|\xi `$. But relative periodic orbits for $`h\mathrm{\Phi }|\xi `$ are relative periodic orbits for $`h`$. Indeed, writing $`\phi _f^t`$ for the Hamiltonian flow of $`f`$, we have $`\phi _{h\mathrm{\Phi }|\xi }^t=\phi _{\mathrm{\Phi }|\xi }^t\phi _h^t`$ by the $`G`$-invariance of $`h`$. Therefore, $`\phi _{h\mathrm{\Phi }|\xi }^t(x)=gx`$ for some $`gG`$ if and only if $`\phi _h^t(x)=g^{}x`$ with $`g^{}=\mathrm{exp}(t\xi )gG`$. This concludes the proof of Theorem 1.

## 3. Concluding remarks

I. Corollary proves the existence of relative periodic orbits for a pair of axially symmetric rigid bodies subject to a coupling potential which depends on the angle between the bodies. We expect the theorem to prove the existence of relative periodic orbits for the motion of Riemann ellipsoids.   

II. In Theorem 1, we compute $`d^2h_V(0)`$ from $`d^2(h\mathrm{\Phi }|\xi )(x)|_{\mathrm{ker}d\mathrm{\Phi }(x)}`$ by ‘killing’ the direction of degeneracy. This computation needs only the existence of the ‘Darboux coordinates’ $`\sigma :(T^{}L\times V)/\mathrm{\Gamma }U_0M`$ (see the proof above), but by computing without the explicit form of $`\sigma `$, we lose some information. Alternatively we can compute the Taylor expansion of $`\sigma `$ and translate the higher-order information on the jet of the original Hamiltonian $`h`$ into the information on the jet of the model Hamiltonian $`h_V`$.