Degenerate discontinuity-induced bifurcations in tapping-mode atomic-force microscopy

This paper documents the existence of degenerate bifurcation scenarios in the low-contact-velocity dynamics during tapping-mode atomic-force microscopy. Specifically, numerical analysis of a model of the microscope dynamics shows branch point and isola bifurcations associated with the emergence of two families of saddle–node bifurcation points along a branch of low-amplitude oscillations. The paper argues for the origin of the degenerate...