For the perturbed amplitude equations, direct differentiation of the first integral gives
The axis connection contributes zero since . On the unperturbed interior heteroclinic orbit, and , so the first-order change is
The substitution gives
Consequently
The simple zero of this Melnikov energy-balance method calculation gives the heteroclinic splitting of a fold-Hopf amplitude cycle:
This is a leading persistence curve, not an exact parameter equality for the perturbed orbit. It lies between the two primary Hopf bifurcation curves near the origin and on the negative- side of the secondary torus curve . With the added term the primary Hopf bifurcation curves themselves shift to .
The sign of the amplitude balance also identifies the local torus branch. Over a small closed limiting contour, . Its enclosed-area form sets equal to minus the area-average of . This average tends to zero at the centre and to at the heteroclinic cycle. Near the centre, negative attracts trajectories toward the stable amplitude equilibrium; outside a zero-balance contour, decreases and the amplitude excursion grows. Thus the secondary bifurcation creates an unstable invariant torus on the stable-periodic-orbit side. Its continuation reaches the global connection as the balance tends to . The bifurcation diagram distinguishes this perturbed connection from the entire degenerate family present in the unperturbed system.