On the modeling and exploitation of co-orbital dynamics

This collection was inspired by and is a spin-off of two editions of the International Workshop on Co-orbital Motion: modeling, understanding and exploitation (COOMOT), that was held in hybrid form, in Milan and online, in 2022Footnote 1 and 2024.Footnote 2 The idea behind the workshop was to gather researchers belonging to different but connected fields to interact constructively on a common topic. In the context of the three-body problem, the co-orbital motion refers to a 1:1 mean motion resonance between two of three bodies. This means that they take approximately the same amount of time to complete one orbit around the central body. These bodies can be two planets orbiting the same star, or an asteroid and a planet orbiting the Sun, or a spacecraft and a moon orbiting the same planet. The 1:1 mean motion resonance is a key mechanism in planetary science and celestial mechanics: its modeling requires advanced mathematical techniques, it is observed in several cases in the solar system, and recently it has also received a lot of interest by the space engineering community. The research papers collected here reflect the importance of periodic orbits in understanding the 1:1 resonance. They also show how co-orbital dynamics guides the evolution of the orbits of natural bodies in the solar system, and highlight its applications in space mission design. This collection is dedicated to the memory of Àngel Jorba, who was part of the scientific committee of both editions of COOMOT, a great expert in co-orbital dynamics and a unique guide for many, not only as a mathematician.