The dynamics of phase locking and points of resonance in a forced magnetic oscillator (Q1108443)

The authors report data on an experimental system: a forced symmetric oscillator containing a saturable inductor with magnetic hysteresis. It displays a Hopf bifurcation to quasiperiodicity, entertainment horns, and chaos. They study in detail the bifurcations and hysteresis occurring near points of resonance (particularly ``strong resonance'') and show how the observed behavior can be understood using Arnold's theory. Much of the behavior relating to the entrainment horns is explored: period doubling and symmetric breaking bifurcations; homoclinic bifurcations; and crises and other bifurcations taking place at the horn boundaries. Important features of the behavior related to symmetry properties of the oscillator are studied and explained through the concept of a half-cycle map. The system is shown to exhibit a Hopf bifurcation from a phase- locked state to periodic ``islands'', similar to those found in Hamiltonian systems. An initialization technique is used to observe the manifold of saddle orbits and other hidden structure. An unusual differential equation model is developed which is irreversible and generates a noninvertible Poincare' map of the plane. Noninvertibility of this planar map has important effect on the behavior observed. The Poincare' map may also be appoximated through experimental measurements, resulting in a planar map with parameter dependence. This model gives good correspondence with the system in a region of the parameter space.