A3.6 B3.17

Nonlinear Dynamical Systems
Part II, 2004

(i) Consider a system in R2\mathbb{R}^{2} that is almost Hamiltonian:

x˙=Hy+ϵg1(x,y),y˙=Hx+ϵg2(x,y)\dot{x}=\frac{\partial H}{\partial y}+\epsilon g_{1}(x, y), \quad \dot{y}=-\frac{\partial H}{\partial x}+\epsilon g_{2}(x, y)

where H=H(x,y)H=H(x, y) and ϵ1|\epsilon| \ll 1. Show that if the system has a periodic orbit C\mathcal{C} then Cg2dxg1dy=0\oint_{\mathcal{C}} g_{2} d x-g_{1} d y=0, and explain how to evaluate this orbit approximately for small ϵ\epsilon. Illustrate your method by means of the system

x˙=y+ϵx(1x2),y˙=x.\dot{x}=y+\epsilon x\left(1-x^{2}\right), \quad \dot{y}=-x .

(ii) Consider the system

x˙=y,y˙=xx3+ϵy(1αx2)\dot{x}=y, \quad \dot{y}=x-x^{3}+\epsilon y\left(1-\alpha x^{2}\right)

(a) Show that when ϵ=0\epsilon=0 the system is Hamiltonian, and find the Hamiltonian. Sketch the trajectories in the case ϵ=0\epsilon=0. Identify the value HcH_{c} of HH for which there is a homoclinic orbit.

(b) Suppose ϵ>0\epsilon>0. Show that the small change ΔH\Delta H in HH around an orbit of the Hamiltonian system can be expressed to leading order as an integral of the form

x1x2F(x,H)dx\int_{x_{1}}^{x_{2}} \mathcal{F}(x, H) d x

where x1,x2x_{1}, x_{2} are the extrema of the xx-coordinates of the orbits of the Hamiltonian system, distinguishing between the cases H<Hc,H>HcH<H_{c}, H>H_{c}.

(c) Find the value of α\alpha, correct to leading order in ϵ\epsilon, at which the system has a homoclinic orbit.

(d) By examining the eigenvalues of the Jacobian at the origin, determine the stability of the homoclinic orbit, being careful to state clearly any standard results that you use.