Resonances, Radiation Damping and Instability in Hamiltonian Nonlinear Wave Equations

We consider a class of nonlinear Klein-Gordon equations which are Hamiltonian and are perturbations of linear dispersive equations. The unperturbed dynamical system has a bound state, a spatially localized and time periodic solution. We show that, for generic nonlinear Hamiltonian perturbations, all small amplitude solutions decay to zero as time tends to infinity at an anomalously slow rate. In particular, spatially localized and time-periodic solutions of the linear problem are destroyed by generic nonlinear Hamiltonian perturbations via slow radiation of energy to infinity. These solutions can therefore be thought of as metastable states. The main mechanism is a nonlinear resonant interaction of bound states (eigenfunctions) and radiation (continuous spectral modes), leading to energy transfer from the discrete to continuum modes. This is in contrast to the KAM theory in which appropriate nonresonance conditions imply the persistence of invariant tori. A hypothesis ensuring that such a resonance takes place is a nonlinear analogue of the Fermi golden rule, arising in the theory of resonances in quantum mechanics. The techniques used involve: (i) a time-dependent method developed by the authors for the treatment of the quantum resonance problem and perturbations of embedded eigenvalues, (ii) a generalization of the Hamiltonian normal form appropriate for infinite dimensional dispersive systems and (iii) ideas from scattering theory. The arguments are quite general and we expect them to apply to a large class of systems which can be viewed as the interaction of finite dimensional and infinite dimensional dispersive dynamical systems, or as a system of particles coupled to a field.Comment: To appear in Inventiones Mathematica

Time Dependent Resonance Theory

An important class of resonance problems involves the study of perturbations of systems having embedded eigenvalues in their continuous spectrum. Problems with this mathematical structure arise in the study of many physical systems, e.g. the coupling of an atom or molecule to a photon-radiation field, and Auger states of the helium atom, as well as in spectral geometry and number theory. We present a dynamic (time-dependent) theory of such quantum resonances. The key hypotheses are (i) a resonance condition which holds generically (non-vanishing of the {\it Fermi golden rule}) and (ii) local decay estimates for the unperturbed dynamics with initial data consisting of continuum modes associated with an interval containing the embedded eigenvalue of the unperturbed Hamiltonian. No assumption of dilation analyticity of the potential is made. Our method explicitly demonstrates the flow of energy from the resonant discrete mode to continuum modes due to their coupling. The approach is also applicable to nonautonomous linear problems and to nonlinear problems. We derive the time behavior of the resonant states for intermediate and long times. Examples and applications are presented. Among them is a proof of the instability of an embedded eigenvalue at a threshold energy under suitable hypotheses.Comment: to appear in Geometrical and Functional Analysi

Nonautonomous Hamiltonians

We present a theory of resonances for a class of non-autonomous Hamiltonians to treat the structural instability of spatially localized and time-periodic solutions associated with an unperturbed autonomous Hamiltonian. The mechanism of instability is radiative decay, due to resonant coupling of the discrete modes to the continuum modes by the time-dependent perturbation. This results in a slow transfer of energy from the discrete modes to the continuum. The rate of decay of solutions is slow and hence the decaying bound states can be viewed as metastable. The ideas are closely related to the authors' work on (i) a time dependent approach to the instability of eigenvalues embedded in the continuous spectra, and (ii) resonances, radiation damping and instability in Hamiltonian nonlinear wave equations. The theory is applied to a general class of Schr\"odinger equations. The phenomenon of ionization may be viewed as a resonance problem of the type we consider and we apply our theory to find the rate of ionization, spectral line shift and local decay estimates for such Hamiltonians.Comment: To appear in Journal of Statistical Physic

Defect Modes and Homogenization of Periodic Schr\"odinger Operators

We consider the discrete eigenvalues of the operator H_\eps=-\Delta+V(\x)+\eps^2Q(\eps\x), where V(\x) is periodic and Q(\y) is localized on $\R^d,\ \ d\ge1$. For \eps>0 and sufficiently small, discrete eigenvalues may bifurcate (emerge) from spectral band edges of the periodic Schr\"odinger operator, H_0 = -\Delta_\x+V(\x), into spectral gaps. The nature of the bifurcation depends on the homogenized Schr\"odinger operator L_{A,Q}=-\nabla_\y\cdot A \nabla_\y +\ Q(\y). Here, $A$ denotes the inverse effective mass matrix, associated with the spectral band edge, which is the site of the bifurcation.Comment: 26 pages, 3 figures, to appear SIAM J. Math. Ana

Excitation Thresholds for Nonlinear Localized Modes on Lattices

Breathers are spatially localized and time periodic solutions of extended Hamiltonian dynamical systems. In this paper we study excitation thresholds for (nonlinearly dynamically stable) ground state breather or standing wave solutions for networks of coupled nonlinear oscillators and wave equations of nonlinear Schr\"odinger (NLS) type. Excitation thresholds are rigorously characterized by variational methods. The excitation threshold is related to the optimal (best) constant in a class of discr ete interpolation inequalities related to the Hamiltonian energy. We establish a precise connection among $d$, the dimensionality of the lattice, $2\sigma+1$, the degree of the nonlinearity and the existence of an excitation threshold for discrete nonlinear Schr\"odinger systems (DNLS). We prove that if $\sigma\ge 2/d$, then ground state standing waves exist if and only if the total power is larger than some strictly positive threshold, $\nu_{thresh}(\sigma, d)$. This proves a conjecture of Flach, Kaldko& MacKay in the context of DNLS. We also discuss upper and lower bounds for excitation thresholds for ground states of coupled systems of NLS equations, which arise in the modeling of pulse propagation in coupled arrays of optical fibers.Comment: To appear in Nonlinearit