AC-Voltage-Driven Motion of a Thin Disk in a Parallel Plate Capacitor

Abstract

Impact oscillators are of interest in physics, mathematics, and engineering due to their applications and complex dynamics. In this paper we explore the motion of a thin disk between a parallel plate capacitor driven by a sinusoidal voltage input. We derive the dimensionless equations of motion and solve the system using the 4th-order Runge-Kutta method. Time-series and corresponding phase portraits show results similar to another single-impact system for low dimensionless amplitude parameters and bifurcations unique to this system occurs for amplitudes with upper plate collisions.