Amplitude modulated dynamics of a resonantly excited autoparametric two degree-of-freedom system

Forced, weakly nonlinear oscillations of a two degree-of-freedom autoparametric vibration absorber system are studied for resonant excitations. The method of averaging is used to obtain first-order approximations to the response of the system. A complete bifurcation analysis of the averaged equations is undertaken in the subharmonic case of internal and external resonance. The locked pendulum mode of response is found to bifurcate to coupled-mode motion for some excitation frequencies and forcing amplitudes. The coupled-mode response can undergo Hopf bifurcation to limit cycle motions, when the two linear modes are mistuned away from the exact internal resonance condition. The software packages AUTO and KAOS are used and a numerically assisted study of the Hopf bifurcation sets, and dynamic steady solutions of the amplitude or averaged equations is presented. It is shown that both super-and sub-critical Hopf bifurcations arise and the limit cycles quickly undergo period-doubling bifurcations to chaos. These imply chaotic amplitude modulated motions for the system.