Global bifurcations close to symmetry (Q530348)

The authors start by considering a fully \((\mathbb{Z}_2 \times \mathbb{Z}_2)\)-symmetric differential equation \(\dot{x} = f_0(x)\) on the three-dimensional sphere \(\mathcal{S}^3\) with two saddle-foci that share all the invariant manifolds, of dimensions one and two, both contained in flow-invariant submanifolds that come from the symmetry. This forms an attracting heteroclinic network \(\Sigma^0\) with a non-empty basin of attraction \(V^0\). The authors study the global transition of the dynamics from this fully symmetric system \(\dot{x} = f_0(x)\) to a perturbed system \(\dot{x} = f_\lambda(x)\), for a smooth one-parameter family that breaks part of the symmetry of the system. When \(\lambda \neq 0\), the one-dimensional connection persists, due to the remaining symmetry, and the two-dimensional invariant manifolds intersect transversely, because of the symmetry breaking. This gives rise to a network \(\Sigma^\lambda\), that consists of a union of Bykov cycles, contained in \(V^0\). A Bykov cycle is a heteroclinic cycle between two hyperbolic saddle-foci of different Morse index, where one of the connections is transverse and the other is structurally unstable. There are two types of Bykov cycle, depending on the way the flow turns around the two saddle-foci, that determine the chirality of the cycle. For a Bykov cycle in a \(3\)-dimensional manifold, the nodes have the same chirality if trajectories turn in the same direction around the common \(1\)-dimensional invariant manifold. If they turn in opposite directions the nodes have different chirality. Several authors have given results about Bykov cycles without taking into account its chirality. There are several general properties that only occur with nodes of different chirality. The present paper is concerned with nodes with the same chirality. The authors discuss global bifurcations when \(\lambda\) crosses the \(0\) value. The authors prove that there is a sequence of parameter values \(\lambda_i\) accumulating on \(0\) such that the associated flow has heteroclinic tangencies. They also show that under an additional condition infinitely many attracting periodic solutions are created.