Multiple Transitions to Chaos in a Damped Parametrically Forced Pendulum

Abstract

We study bifurcations associated with stability of the lowest stationary point (SP) of a damped parametrically forced pendulum by varying ${\omega }_0$ (the natural frequency of the pendulum) and $A$ (the amplitude of the external driving force). As $A$ is increased, the SP will restabilize after its instability, destabilize again, and so {\it ad infinitum} for any given ${\omega }_0$. Its destabilizations (restabilizations) occur via alternating supercritical (subcritical) period-doubling bifurcations (PDB's) and pitchfork bifurcations, except the first destabilization at which a supercritical or subcritical bifurcation takes place depending on the value of ${\omega }_0$. For each case of the supercritical destabilizations, an infinite sequence of PDB's follows and leads to chaos. Consequently, an infinite series of period-doubling transitions to chaos appears with increasing $A$. The critical behaviors at the transition points are also discussed.

20 pages + 7 figures (available upon request), RevTex 3.0

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