Distinguishing the transition to chaos in a spherical pendulum

Complex responses are studied for a spherical pendulum whose support is excited with a translational periodic motion. Governing equations are studied analytically to allow prediction of responses under various excitation conditions. Stability for certain cases of damping is predicted by means of existing analysis and compared with experimental data. Numerical time-step integration of the governing equations is developed to predict responses for various types of excitation and damping conditions. Predicted results are compared with corresponding motions measured in an experimental spherical pendulum system. A data acquisition system is included whereby detailed digitized time histories of the pendulum motion can be established and various parameters can be computed to characterize the type of motion present. Two new vector spaces are defined for describing complex responses which occur for certain specified excitation conditions. It is shown in these parameter spaces that the transition from quasiperiodic to chaotic motions can be carefully quantified in systems with very light damping. This discovery provides a convenient means for comparison of complex motions in the numerical and experimental air pendulum systems. The implications of the results are important for dynamic response in various applications, including fluid motions in satellite tanks and other nonlinear time-dependent physical processes which include very light damping. (c) 1995 American Institute of Physics.