Hierarchy in chaotic scattering in Hill's problem

Hierarchic properties of chaotic scattering in a model of satellite encounters, studied first by Petit and Henon, are examined by decomposing the dwell time function and comparing scattering trajectories. The analysis reveals an (approximate) ternary organization in the chaotic set of bounded orbits and the presence of a stable island. The results can open the way for a calculation of global quantities characterizing the scattering process by using tools of the thermodynamic formalism.