Beyond the Linear Damping Model for Mechanical Harmonic Oscillators

The steady state motion of a folded pendulum has been studied using frequencies of drive that are mainly below the natural (resonance) frequency of the instrument. Although the free-decay of this mechanical oscillator appears textbook exponential, the steady state behavior of the instrument for sub-resonance drive can be remarkably complex. Although the response cannot be explained by linear damping models, the general features can be understood with the nonlinear, modified Coulomb damping model developed by the author.