The origins of chaos in a modified Van der Pol oscillator

Abstract An experimental and theoretical investigation of a modified Van der Pol oscillator has led to the discovery of degenerate bifurcations which control the global dynamics of the system. A two-dimensional parameter space for the oscillator is studied and the measured loci of critical points, where a qualitative change of behaviour is observed, are given in detail. It is shown explicitly, by analysis of the experimental data, that chaos arises through the Silnikov mechanism.