Bi-instability as a precursor to global mixed-mode chaos.

Abstract

Bi-instability, in contrast to bistability, is shown to generate unstable chaotic saddles prior to the onset of chaos. The theory and numerics are applied to a CO2 laser model with modulated losses where unstable pairs of saddles coexist, form heteroclinic connections, and allow mixing between local chaotic attractors to produce global mixed-mode chaos.