The Melnikov method and subharmonic orbits in a piecewise smooth system

Abstract

In this work we consider a two-dimensional piecewise smooth system, defined in two domains separated by the switching manifold $x=0$. We assume that there exists a piecewise-defined continuous Hamiltonian that is a first integral of the system. We also suppose that the system possesses an invisible fold-fold at the origin and two heteroclinic orbits connecting two hyperbolic critical points on either side of $x=0$. Finally, we assume that the region closed by these heteroclinic connections is fully covered by periodic orbits surrounding the origin, whose periods monotonically increase as they approach the heteroclinic connection. When considering a non-autonomous ($T$-periodic) Hamiltonian perturbation of amplitude $\varepsilon$, using an impact map, we rigorously prove that, for every $n$ and $m$ relatively prime and $\varepsilon>0$ small enough, there exists a $nT$-periodic orbit impacting $2m$ times with the switching manifold at every period if a modified subharmonic Melnikov function possesses a simple zero. We also prove that, if the orbits are discontinuous when they cross $x=0$, then all these orbits exist if the relative size of $\varepsilon>0$ with respect to the magnitude of this jump is large enough. We also obtain similar conditions for the splitting of the heteroclinic connections.