Routes to escape from an energy well

Abstract

Dynamical systems characterized by the possibility of escape from a local potential energy well occur in a great many physical problems, including a rigid-arm pendulum passing over its inverted equilibrium position, snap-through buckling in arch and shell structures, and capsizing of ships. This is a thoroughly non-linear problem and has received substantial recent attention, especially using techniques based on numerical simulation. The current paper confirms much of these earlier findings using a mechanical experiment which mimics the behavior of a typical “escape” non-linear ordinary differential equation. © 1995 by Academic Press, Inc.

DOI
10.1006/jsvi.1995.0506
Year