D.J. Jefferies ,
Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering,
University of Surrey,
Guildford GU2 5XH,
United Kingdom
The double potential well circuit consists of a generalisation of the harmonic oscillator which has two separated force centres or potential minima. A simple variant is mathematically completely isomorphic with a damped offset impact oscillator with unity restitution coefficient.
Details are given of the construction of the analogue circuit version of this system; experiments and results of simulations demonstrate symmetry-breaking, long-lived chaotic transients, and multiple attractors.