Gaussian solitary waves and compactons in Fermi-Pasta-Ulam lattices with Hertzian potentials

We consider a class of fully-nonlinear Fermi-Pasta-Ulam (FPU) lattices, consisting of a chain of particles coupled by fractional power nonlinearities of order $\alpha >1$. This class of systems incorporates a classical Hertzian model describing acoustic wave propagation in chains of touching beads in the absence of precompression. We analyze the propagation of localized waves when $\alpha$ is close to unity. Solutions varying slowly in space and time are searched with an appropriate scaling, and two asymptotic models of the chain of particles are derived consistently. The first one is a logarithmic KdV equation, and possesses linearly orbitally stable Gaussian solitary wave solutions. The second model consists of a generalized KdV equation with H\"older-continuous fractional power nonlinearity and admits compacton solutions, i.e. solitary waves with compact support. When $\alpha \rightarrow 1^+$, we numerically establish the asymptotically Gaussian shape of exact FPU solitary waves with near-sonic speed, and analytically check the pointwise convergence of compactons towards the limiting Gaussian profile

Generation of upstream advancing solitons by moving disturbances

This study investigates the recently identified phenomenon whereby a forcing disturbance moving steadily with a transcritical velocity in shallow water can generate, periodically, a succession of solitary waves, advancing upstream of the disturbance in procession, while a train of weakly nonlinear and weakly dispersive waves develops downstream of a region of depressed water surface trailing just behind the disturbance. This phenomenon was numerically discovered by Wu & Wu (1982) based on the generalized Boussinesq model for describing two-dimensional long waves generated by moving surface pressure or topography. In a joint theoretical and experimental study, Lee (1985) found a broad agreement between the experiment and two theoretical models, the generalized Boussinesq and the forced Korteweg de Vries (fKdV) equations, both containing forcing functions. The fKdV model is applied in the present study to explore the basic mechanism underlying the phenomenon. To facilitate the analysis of the stability of solutions of the initial-boundary-value problem of the fKdV equation, a family of forced steady solitary waves is found. Any such solution, if once established, will remain permanent in form in accordance with the uniqueness theorem shown here. One of the simplest of the stationary solutions, which is a one-parameter family and can be scaled into a universal similarity form, is chosen for stability calculations. As a test of the computer code, the initially established stationary solution is found to be numerically permanent in form with fractional uncertainties of less than 2% after the wave has traversed, under forcing, the distance of 600 water depths. The other numerical results show that when the wave is initially so disturbed as to have to rise from the rest state, which is taken as the initial value, the same phenomenon of the generation of upstream-advancing solitons is found to appear, with a definite time period of generation. The result for this similarity family shows that the period of generation, T[sub]S, and the scaled amplitude [alpha] of the solitons so generated are related by the formula T[sub]S = const [alpha]^-3/2. This relation is further found to be in good agreement with the first-principle prediction derived here based on mass, momentum and energy considerations of the fKdV equation

Numerical simulation of strongly nonlinear and dispersive waves using a Green-Naghdi model

We investigate here the ability of a Green-Naghdi model to reproduce strongly nonlinear and dispersive wave propagation. We test in particular the behavior of the new hybrid finite-volume and finite-difference splitting approach recently developed by the authors and collaborators on the challenging benchmark of waves propagating over a submerged bar. Such a configuration requires a model with very good dispersive properties, because of the high-order harmonics generated by topography-induced nonlinear interactions. We thus depart from the aforementioned work and choose to use a new Green-Naghdi system with improved frequency dispersion characteristics. The absence of dry areas also allows us to improve the treatment of the hyperbolic part of the equations. This leads to very satisfying results for the demanding benchmarks under consideration

Unsteady undular bores in fully nonlinear shallow-water theory

We consider unsteady undular bores for a pair of coupled equations of Boussinesq-type which contain the familiar fully nonlinear dissipationless shallow-water dynamics and the leading-order fully nonlinear dispersive terms. This system contains one horizontal space dimension and time and can be systematically derived from the full Euler equations for irrotational flows with a free surface using a standard long-wave asymptotic expansion. In this context the system was first derived by Su and Gardner. It coincides with the one-dimensional flat-bottom reduction of the Green-Naghdi system and, additionally, has recently found a number of fluid dynamics applications other than the present context of shallow-water gravity waves. We then use the Whitham modulation theory for a one-phase periodic travelling wave to obtain an asymptotic analytical description of an undular bore in the Su-Gardner system for a full range of "depth" ratios across the bore. The positions of the leading and trailing edges of the undular bore and the amplitude of the leading solitary wave of the bore are found as functions of this "depth ratio". The formation of a partial undular bore with a rapidly-varying finite-amplitude trailing wave front is predicted for ``depth ratios'' across the bore exceeding 1.43. The analytical results from the modulation theory are shown to be in excellent agreement with full numerical solutions for the development of an undular bore in the Su-Gardner system.Comment: Revised version accepted for publication in Phys. Fluids, 51 pages, 9 figure