Stability of nonlinear Hamiltonian motion for a finite but very long time

Abstract

By constructing action variables that are very nearly invariant in a region Ω of phase space, and by examining their residual variation, we set long-term bounds on any orbit starting in an open subregion of Ω. A new and generally applicable method for constructing the required high-precision invariants is applied. The technique is illustrated for transverse oscillations in a circular accelerator, a case with 21/2 degrees of freedom and strong nonlinearity.