Global bifurcations in externally excited two-degree-of-freedom nonlinear systems

In this study we examine the global dynamics associated with a generic two-degree-of-freedom (2-DOF), coupled nonlinear system that is externally excited. The method of averaging is used to obtain the second order approximation of the response of the system in the presence of one-one internal resonance and subharmonic external resonance. This system can describe a variety of physical phenomena such as the motion of an initially deflected shallow arch, pitching vibrations in a nonlinear vibration absorber, nonlinear response of suspended cables etc. Using a perturbation method developed by Kovai and Wiggins (1992), we show the existence of Silnikov type homoclinic orbits which may lead to chaotic behavior in this system. Here two different cases are examined and conditions are obtained for the existence of Silnikov type chaos.An earlier version of this paper was presented in the workshop on Applications of Pattern Formation at the Fields Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Waterloo, Canada, March 1993.