937 research outputs found
Nonlinear theory for coalescing characteristics in multiphase Whitham modulation theory
The multiphase Whitham modulation equations with phases have
characteristics which may be of hyperbolic or elliptic type. In this paper a
nonlinear theory is developed for coalescence, where two characteristics change
from hyperbolic to elliptic via collision. Firstly, a linear theory develops
the structure of colliding characteristics involving the topological sign of
characteristics and multiple Jordan chains, and secondly a nonlinear modulation
theory is developed for transitions. The nonlinear theory shows that coalescing
characteristics morph the Whitham equations into an asymptotically valid
geometric form of the two-way Boussinesq equation. That is, coalescing
characteristics generate dispersion, nonlinearity and complex wave fields. For
illustration, the theory is applied to coalescing characteristics associated
with the modulation of two-phase travelling-wave solutions of coupled nonlinear
Schr\"odinger equations, highlighting how collisions can be identified and the
relevant dispersive dynamics constructed.Comment: 40 pages, 2 figure
Multiphase wavetrains, singular wave interactions and the emergence of the Korteweg–de Vries equation
Multiphase wavetrains are multiperiodic travelling waves with a set of distinct wavenumbers and distinct frequencies. In conservative systems, such families are associated with the conservation of wave action or other conservation law. At generic points (where the Jacobian of the wave action flux is non-degenerate), modulation of the wavetrain leads to the dispersionless multiphase conservation of wave action. The main result of this paper is that modulation of the multiphase wavetrain, when the Jacobian of the wave action flux vector is singular, morphs the vector-valued conservation law into the scalar Korteweg–de Vries (KdV) equation. The coefficients in the emergent KdV equation have a geometrical interpretation in terms of projection of the vector components of the conservation law. The theory herein is restricted to two phases to simplify presentation, with extensions to any finite dimension discussed in the concluding remarks. Two applications of the theory are presented: a coupled nonlinear Schrödinger equation and two-layer shallow-water hydrodynamics with a free surface. Both have two-phase solutions where criticality and the properties of the emergent KdV equation can be determined analytically
Transversality and the Pego-Weinstein theory
This paper studies the linear stability problem for solitary wave solutions
of Hamiltonian PDEs. The linear stability problem is formulated in terms of the
Evans function, a complex analytic function denoted by , where
is the stability exponent. The main result is the introduction of a
new factor, denoted , in the Pego-Weinstein derivative formula where is the momentum of the solitary wave and
is the speed. Moreover this factor turns out to be related to transversality of
the solitary wave, modelled as a homoclinic orbit: the homoclinic orbit is
transversely constructed if and only if . The sign of is a
symplectic invariant, an intrinsic property of the solitary wave, and is a key
new factor affecting the linear stability. A supporting result is the
introduction of a new abstract class of Hamiltonian PDEs built on a nonlinear
Dirac-type equation, which model a wide range of Hamiltonian PDEs. Examples
where the theory applies, other than Dirac operators, are the coupled mode
equation in fluid mechanics and optics, the massive Thirring model, and coupled
nonlinear wave equations. The new result is already present when the homoclinic
orbit representation of the solitary wave lives in a four dimensional phase
space, and so the theory is presented for this case, with the generalization to
arbitrary dimension sketched.Comment: 32 pages, 2 figure
Reduction to modified KdV and its KP-like generalization via phase modulation
The main observation of this paper is that the modified Korteweg-de Vries equation has its natural origin in phase modulation of a basic state such as a periodic travelling wave, or more generally, a family of relative equilibria. Extension to 2 + 1 suggests that a modified Kadomtsev-Petviashvili (or a Konopelchenko-Dubrovsky) equation should emerge, but our result shows that there is an additional term which has gone heretofore unnoticed. Thus, through the novel application of phase modulation a new equation appears as the 2 + 1 extension to a previously known one. To demonstrate the theory it is applied to the cubic-quintic nonlinear Schrödinger (CQNLS) equation, showing that there are relevant parameter values where a modified KP equation bifurcates from periodic travelling wave solutions of the 2 + 1 CQNLS equation
On the Elliptic-Hyperbolic Transition in Whitham Modulation Theory
The dispersionless Whitham modulation equations in one space dimension and time are generically hyperbolic or elliptic and break down at the transition, which is a curve in the frequency-wavenumber plane. In this paper, the modulation theory is reformulated with a slow phase and different scalings resulting in a phase modulation equation near the singular curves which is a geometric form of the two-way Boussinesq equation. This equation is universal in the same sense as Whitham theory. Moreover, it is dispersive, and it has a wide range of interesting multiperiodic, quasi-periodic, and multipulse localized solutions. This theory shows that the elliptic-hyperbolic transition is a rich source of complex behavior in nonlinear wave fields. There are several examples of these transition curves in the literature to which the theory applies. For illustration the theory is applied to the complex nonlinear Klein--Gordon equation which has two singular curves in the manifold of periodic traveling waves
Double criticality and the two-way Boussinesq equation in stratified shallow water hydrodynamics
Double criticality and its nonlinear implications are considered for stratified N–layer shallow water flows with N = 1,  2,  3. Double criticality arises when the linearization of the steady problem about a uniform flow has a double zero eigenvalue. We find that there are two types of double criticality: non-semisimple (one eigenvector and one generalized eigenvector) and semi-simple (two independent eigenvectors). Using a multiple scales argument, dictated by the type of singularity, it is shown that the weakly nonlinear problem near double criticality is governed by a two-way Boussinesq equation (non-semisimple case) and a coupled Korteweg-de Vries equation (semisimple case). Parameter values and reduced equations are constructed for the examples of two-layer and three-layer stratified shallow water hydrodynamics
Phase dynamics of periodic waves leading to the Kadomtsev–Petviashvili equation in 3+1 dimensions
The Kadomstev–Petviashvili (KP) equation is a well-known modulation equation normally derived by starting with the trivial state and an appropriate dispersion relation. In this paper, it is shown that the KP equation is also the relevant modulation equation for bifurcation from periodic travelling waves when the wave action flux has a critical point. Moreover, the emergent KP equation arises in a universal form, with the coefficients determined by the components of the conservation of wave action. The theory is derived for a general class of partial differential equations generated by a Lagrangian using phase modulation. The theory extends to any space dimension and time, but the emphasis in the paper is on the case of 3+1. Motivated by light bullets and quantum vortex dynamics, the theory is illustrated by showing how defocusing NLS in 3+1 bifurcates to KP in 3+1 at criticality. The generalization to N>3 is also discussed
Reduction to modified KdV and its KP-like generalization via phase modulation
The main observation of this paper is that the modified Korteweg–de Vries equation has its natural origin in phase modulation of a basic state such as a periodic travelling wave, or more generally, a family of relative equilibria. Extension to 2  +  1 suggests that a modified Kadomtsev–Petviashvili (or a Konopelchenko–Dubrovsky) equation should emerge, but our result shows that there is an additional term which has gone heretofore unnoticed. Thus, through the novel application of phase modulation a new equation appears as the 2  +  1 extension to a previously known one. To demonstrate the theory it is applied to the cubic-quintic nonlinear Schrödinger (CQNLS) equation, showing that there are relevant parameter values where a modified KP equation bifurcates from periodic travelling wave solutions of the 2  +  1 CQNLS equation
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