Chaotic attractors of a boundary value problem in the mechanics of elastic systems (Q1975109)

The paper is devoted to a boundary value problem that describes the dynamics of a distributed rotor (shaft),one of whose bearings is subject to a periodic external force (vibration). The conditions under which a chaotic oscillatory mode (a strange attractor) exists are found. The characteristic exponents and the Lyapunov dimension are calculated for this mode, and the mechanism of its development is elucidated. The existence of chaotic attractors in this critical case is a new mathematical result.