Taming a Chaotic Dripping Faucet via a Global Bifurcation

Abstract

We carried out a fluid dynamical simulation for a forced dripping faucet system using a new algorithm that was recently developed. The simulation shows that periodic external forcing induces transitions from chaotic to periodic motion and vice versa. We further constructed an improved mass-sprig model for the same system on the basis of data obtained from the fluid dynamical computations. A detailed analysis of this simple model demonstrated that the periodic motion is realized after a homoclinic bifurcation, although a stable periodic orbit is generated via a Hopf bifurcation which occurs just after a saddle node one.