Periodic solutions with prescribed minimal period of the 2-vortex problem in domains

Thomas Bartsch, Matteo Sacchet

Published 2016-08-24Version 1

We consider the Hamiltonian system \[ \dot{z}_k = J \nabla_{z_k} H_\Omega(z_1,z_2), \quad k=1,2, \] for two point vortices $z_1,z_2\in\Omega$ in a domain $\Omega\subset\mathbb{R}^2$. The Hamiltonian $H_\Omega$ is of the form \[ H_\Omega(z_1,z_2) = -\frac{1}{2\pi} \log |z_1-z_2| - 2g(z_1,z_2) - h(z_1) - h(z_2), \] where $g:\Omega\times\Omega\to\mathbb{R}$ is the regular part of a hydrodynamic Green's function in $\Omega$, and $h:\Omega\to\mathbb{R}$ is the Robin function: $h(z)=g(z,z)$. The system is singular and not integrable, except when $\Omega$ is a disk or an annulus. We prove the existence of infinitely many periodic solutions with minimal period $T$ which are a superposition of a slow motion of the center of vorticity along a level line of $h$ and of a fast rotation of the two vortices around their center of vorticity. These vortices move in a prescribed subset $\mathcal{A}\subset\Omega$ that has to satisfy a geometric condition. The minimal period can be any $T$ in an interval $I(\mathcal{A})\subset\mathbb{R}$. Subsets $\mathcal{A}$ to which our results apply can be found in any generic bounded domain. The proofs are based on a recent higher dimensional version of the Poincar\'e-Birkhoff theorem due to Fonda and Ure\~na.