BIFURCATIONS OF A NONLINEAR SMALL-BODY OCEAN-MOORING SYSTEM EXCITED BY FINITE-AMPLITUDE WAVES

We investigate the response of a nonlinear small-body ocean-mooring sy stem excited by finite-amplitude waves. The system is characterized by a coupled geometrically nonlinear restoring force defined by a single elastic tether. The nonlinear hydrodynamic exciting force includes bo th dissipative and convective terms that are not negligible in a finit e wave amplitude environment. Stability of periodic motion is determin ed numerically and the bifurcation structure includes ultrasubharmonic and quasi-periodic response. The dissipation mechanism is found to co ntrol stability thresholds, whereas the convective nonlinearity govern s the evolution to chaotic system response.