https://doi.org/10.1140/epjs/s11734-021-00232-8
Regular Article
On the dynamics of a system of two coupled van der Pol oscillators subjected to a constant excitation force: effects of broken symmetry
1
College of Technology, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
2
Center for Nonlinear Systems, Chennai Institute of Technology, Malayambakkam, India
3
Faculty of Engineering and Technology (FET), University of Buea, P.O. Box 63, Buea, Cameroon
Received:
31
December
2020
Accepted:
7
July
2021
Published online:
17
August
2021
We consider the dynamics of a system of two coupled van der Pol oscillators whose (inversion) symmetry is broken by a constant excitation force. We investigate the bifurcation structures of the system both with respect to its parameters and the intensity of the excitation force as well using numerical methods. It is found that the forced system experiences rich and complex bifurcation patterns including period-doubling, crises, coexisting bifurcation branches, and hysteresis. Due to the absence of symmetry, the system develops relatively much more complex dynamics which are reflected by the coexistence of multiple (i.e. two, three or four) asymmetric attractors. Moreover, one of the most interesting and striking features of the system considered in this work is the coexistence of periodic and chaotic bubbles of bifurcation for some suitable parameter ranges. This later phenomenon was not reported previously and thus deserves dissemination.
© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to EDP Sciences, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2021
