We consider a mechanical system consisting of $n$ penduli and a $d$-dimensional generalized rotator subject to a time-dependent perturbation. The perturbation is not assumed to be either Hamiltonian, or periodic or quasi-periodic. The strength of the perturbation is given by a parameter $\epsilon\in\mathbb{R}$. For all $|\epsilon|$ sufficiently small, the augmented flow has a $(2d + 1)$-dimensional normally hyperbolic locally invariant manifold $\tilde\Lambda_\epsilon$. We define a Melnikov vector, which gives the first order expansion of the displacement of the stable and unstable manifolds of $\tilde\Lambda_0$ under the perturbation. We provide an explicit formula for the Melnikov vector in terms of convergent improper integrals of the perturbation along homoclinic orbits of the unperturbed system. We show that if the perturbation satisfies some explicit non-degeneracy conditions, then the stable and unstable manifolds of $\tilde\Lambda_\epsilon$, $W^s(\tilde\Lambda_\epsilon)$ and $W 查看全文>>