Abstract
A two-degree-of-freedom model of a nonlinear vibration absorber is considered in this paper. Both the global bifurcations and chaotic dynamics of the nonlinear vibration absorber are investigated. The nonlinear equations of motion of this model are derived. The method of multiple scales is used to find the averaged equations. Based on the averaged equations, the theory of normal form is used to obtain the explicit expressions of normal form associated with a double zero and a pair of pure imaginary eigenvalues by Maple software program. The fast and slow modes may simultaneously exist in the averaged equations. On the basis of the normal form, the global bifurcation and the chaotic dynamics of the nonlinear vibration absorber are analyzed by a global perturbation method developed by Kovacic and Wiggins. The chaotic motion of this model is also found by numerical simulation.