Investigating the phase space dynamics of conservative dynamical systems by the Lagrangian descriptors method

dc.contributor.advisorSkokos, Charalampos
dc.contributor.authorZimper, Sebastian
dc.date.accessioned2024-07-02T10:10:20Z
dc.date.available2024-07-02T10:10:20Z
dc.date.issued2023
dc.date.updated2024-06-06T13:49:25Z
dc.description.abstractIn this work, we numerically investigate the dynamics of conservative dynamical systems using the method of Lagrangian descriptors (LDs), which has been extensively used to visualise characteristic features (like fixed points, periodic orbits and their associated manifolds) in the phase space of nonlinear dynamical systems. The computation of LDs is based on the accumulation of a positive scalar value along any orbit of the dynamical system, making them a rather easily evaluated quantity. Firstly, we use the method of LDs to study the escape of stars in an analytic model of a rotating galaxy. We find that the LDs are able to visually describe the lobe structure of manifolds which govern the escape of stars, thereby providing a computationally cheap and simple way to depict and analyse the model's phase space structures. Secondly, we develop and validate chaos detection techniques which use computations of the LDs of nearby orbits, to characterise the chaoticity of generic conservative systems. More specifically, we introduce the difference and ratio of the LDs of neighbouring orbits as chaos detection diagnostics, and include in our study a quantity related to the second spatial derivative of LDs, which was recently developed by other researchers. Applying these techniques to three basic, prototypical models, namely the two degrees of freedom H´enon-Heiles system, the two-dimensional (2D) standard map, and the 4D standard map, we find that these indices identify chaotic orbits with an accuracy of ≳ 90% when compared to the Smaller Alignment Index (SALI) method, which is a well-established chaos detection technique. Furthermore, we determine the effect on the indices' performance of (i) the orbits' integration time, (ii) the grid spacing between the considered neighbouring orbits, (iii) the number and arrangement of the nearby orbits used to evaluate the indicators and (iv) the overall extent of chaos in the system. A basic outcome of our work is that these indicators can be used to efficiently characterise chaotic behaviour of both low and high-dimensional dynamical systems at short integration times, without solving the so-called variational equations for continuous time systems, or evaluating the tangent map for discrete time models, needed by other, traditional chaos detection techniques.
dc.identifier.apacitationZimper, S. (2023). <i>Investigating the phase space dynamics of conservative dynamical systems by the Lagrangian descriptors method</i>. (). ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/40184en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationZimper, Sebastian. <i>"Investigating the phase space dynamics of conservative dynamical systems by the Lagrangian descriptors method."</i> ., ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics, 2023. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/40184en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationZimper, S. 2023. Investigating the phase space dynamics of conservative dynamical systems by the Lagrangian descriptors method. . ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/40184en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Zimper, Sebastian AB - In this work, we numerically investigate the dynamics of conservative dynamical systems using the method of Lagrangian descriptors (LDs), which has been extensively used to visualise characteristic features (like fixed points, periodic orbits and their associated manifolds) in the phase space of nonlinear dynamical systems. The computation of LDs is based on the accumulation of a positive scalar value along any orbit of the dynamical system, making them a rather easily evaluated quantity. Firstly, we use the method of LDs to study the escape of stars in an analytic model of a rotating galaxy. We find that the LDs are able to visually describe the lobe structure of manifolds which govern the escape of stars, thereby providing a computationally cheap and simple way to depict and analyse the model's phase space structures. Secondly, we develop and validate chaos detection techniques which use computations of the LDs of nearby orbits, to characterise the chaoticity of generic conservative systems. More specifically, we introduce the difference and ratio of the LDs of neighbouring orbits as chaos detection diagnostics, and include in our study a quantity related to the second spatial derivative of LDs, which was recently developed by other researchers. Applying these techniques to three basic, prototypical models, namely the two degrees of freedom H´enon-Heiles system, the two-dimensional (2D) standard map, and the 4D standard map, we find that these indices identify chaotic orbits with an accuracy of ≳ 90% when compared to the Smaller Alignment Index (SALI) method, which is a well-established chaos detection technique. Furthermore, we determine the effect on the indices' performance of (i) the orbits' integration time, (ii) the grid spacing between the considered neighbouring orbits, (iii) the number and arrangement of the nearby orbits used to evaluate the indicators and (iv) the overall extent of chaos in the system. A basic outcome of our work is that these indicators can be used to efficiently characterise chaotic behaviour of both low and high-dimensional dynamical systems at short integration times, without solving the so-called variational equations for continuous time systems, or evaluating the tangent map for discrete time models, needed by other, traditional chaos detection techniques. DA - 2023 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town KW - Mathematics and Applied Mathematics LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PY - 2023 T1 - Investigating the phase space dynamics of conservative dynamical systems by the Lagrangian descriptors method TI - Investigating the phase space dynamics of conservative dynamical systems by the Lagrangian descriptors method UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/40184 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/40184
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationZimper S. Investigating the phase space dynamics of conservative dynamical systems by the Lagrangian descriptors method. []. ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics, 2023 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/40184en_ZA
dc.language.rfc3066Eng
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Science
dc.subjectMathematics and Applied Mathematics
dc.titleInvestigating the phase space dynamics of conservative dynamical systems by the Lagrangian descriptors method
dc.typeThesis / Dissertation
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationlevelMSc
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