Suppression of chaos by weak resonant excitations in a non-linear oscillator with a non-symmetric potential

We examine the Melnikov criterion for transition to chaos in case of one degree of freedom non-linear oscillator with non-symmetric potential. This system, when subjected to an external periodic force, shows homoclinic transition from regular vibrations to chaos just before escape from a potential well. We focus especially on the effect of a second resonant excitation with a different phase on the system transition to chaos. We propose a way of its control. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.