Regimes of stability of accelerator modes

The phase diagram of a simple area-preserving map, which was motivated by the quantum dynamics of cold atoms, is explored analytically and numerically. Periodic orbits of a given winding ratio are found to exist within wedge-shaped regions in the phase diagrams, which are analogous to the Arnol'd tongues which have been extensively studied for a variety of dynamical systems, mostly dissipative ones. A rich variety of bifurcations of various types are observed, as well as period doubling cascades. Stability of periodic orbits is analyzed in detail. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.