Downloads & Free Reading Options - Results

The study of granular crystals, metamaterials that consist of closely packed arrays of particles that interact elastically, is a vibrant area of research that combines ideas from disciplines such as materials science, nonlinear dynamics, and condensed-matter physics. Granular crystals, a type of nonlinear metamaterial, exploit geometrical nonlinearities in their constitutive microstructure to produce properties (such as tunability and energy localization) that are not conventional to engineering materials and linear devices. In this topical review, we focus on recent experimental, computational, and theoretical results on nonlinear coherent structures in granular crystals. Such structures --- which include traveling solitary waves, dispersive shock waves, and discrete breathers --- have fascinating dynamics, including a diversity of both transient features and robust, long-lived patterns that emerge from broad classes of initial data. In our review, we primarily discuss phenomena in one-dimensional crystals, as most research has focused on such scenarios, but we also present some extensions to two-dimensional settings. Throughout the review, we highlight open problems and discuss a variety of potential engineering applications that arise from the rich dynamic response of granular crystals.

The study of granular crystals, metamaterials that consist of closely packed arrays of particles that interact elastically, is a vibrant area of research that combines ideas from disciplines such as materials science, nonlinear dynamics, and condensed-matter physics. Granular crystals, a type of nonlinear metamaterial, exploit geometrical nonlinearities in their constitutive microstructure to produce properties (such as tunability and energy localization) that are not conventional to engineering materials and linear devices. In this topical review, we focus on recent experimental, computational, and theoretical results on nonlinear coherent structures in granular crystals. Such structures --- which include traveling solitary waves, dispersive shock waves, and discrete breathers --- have fascinating dynamics, including a diversity of both transient features and robust, long-lived patterns that emerge from broad classes of initial data. In our review, we primarily discuss phenomena in one-dimensional crystals, as most research has focused on such scenarios, but we also present some extensions to two-dimensional settings. Throughout the review, we highlight open problems and discuss a variety of potential engineering applications that arise from the rich dynamic response of granular crystals.

We study stability and dynamics of the single cylindrically symmetric solitary structures and dipolar solitonic molecules in spatially nonlocal media. The main properties of the solitons, vortex solitons, and dipolar solitons are investigated analytically and numerically. The vortices and higher-order solitons show the transverse symmetry-breaking azimuthal instability below some critical power. We find the threshold of the vortex soliton stabilization using the linear stability analysis and direct numerical simulations. The higher-order solitons, which have a central peak and one or more surrounding rings, are also demonstrated to be stabilized in nonlocal nonlinear media. Using direct numerical simulations, we find a class of radially asymmetric, dipole-like solitons and show that, at sufficiently high power, these structures are stable.

We study stability and dynamics of the single cylindrically symmetric solitary structures and dipolar solitonic molecules in spatially nonlocal media. The main properties of the solitons, vortex solitons, and dipolar solitons are investigated analytically and numerically. The vortices and higher-order solitons show the transverse symmetry-breaking azimuthal instability below some critical power. We find the threshold of the vortex soliton stabilization using the linear stability analysis and direct numerical simulations. The higher-order solitons, which have a central peak and one or more surrounding rings, are also demonstrated to be stabilized in nonlocal nonlinear media. Using direct numerical simulations, we find a class of radially asymmetric, dipole-like solitons and show that, at sufficiently high power, these structures are stable.

Eulerian and Lagrangian tools are used to detect coherent structures in the velocity and magnetic fields of a mean--field dynamo, produced by direct numerical simulations of the three--dimensional compressible magnetohydrodynamic equations with an isotropic helical forcing and moderate Reynolds number. Two distinct stages of the dynamo are studied, the kinematic stage, where a seed magnetic field undergoes exponential growth, and the saturated regime. It is shown that the Lagrangian analysis detects structures with greater detail, besides providing information on the chaotic mixing properties of the flow and the magnetic fields. The traditional way of detecting Lagrangian coherent structures using finite--time Lyapunov exponents is compared with a recently developed method called function M. The latter is shown to produce clearer pictures which readily permit the identification of hyperbolic regions in the magnetic field, where chaotic transport/dispersion of magnetic field lines is highly enhanced.

Eulerian and Lagrangian tools are used to detect coherent structures in the velocity and magnetic fields of a mean--field dynamo, produced by direct numerical simulations of the three--dimensional compressible magnetohydrodynamic equations with an isotropic helical forcing and moderate Reynolds number. Two distinct stages of the dynamo are studied, the kinematic stage, where a seed magnetic field undergoes exponential growth, and the saturated regime. It is shown that the Lagrangian analysis detects structures with greater detail, besides providing information on the chaotic mixing properties of the flow and the magnetic fields. The traditional way of detecting Lagrangian coherent structures using finite--time Lyapunov exponents is compared with a recently developed method called function M. The latter is shown to produce clearer pictures which readily permit the identification of hyperbolic regions in the magnetic field, where chaotic transport/dispersion of magnetic field lines is highly enhanced.

The Final Proceedings for Nonlinear Coherent Structures in Physics and Biology, 10 July 1995 - 14 July 1995. Some of the major topics include molecular structure, solitons, nonlinear equations, and solitary waves.

We study the thermodynamics of kinks in the Phi^6 model using a Langevin code implemented on a massively parallel computer. This code can be used to study first order dynamical phase transitions which exhibit multiple length and time scales. The classical statistical mechanics of a 1+1-dimensional field theory reduces to a time-independent quantum problem in one dimension via the transfer integral method. Exact solutions of the Schrodinger equation exist for the Phi^6 potential (unlike the case for Phi^4) and can be used to check results from the simulations. The Phi^6 model is also much richer than the Phi^4 model in terms of the variety of coherent structures and possible phases accompanying a phase transition. Specifically, we have calculated (in a one dimensional model) such quantities as the probability density function (PDF) and field-field correlation functions. These quantities help us understand the contribution to the specific heat from coherent structures such as domain walls (kinks) and other transformation structures as opposed to the contribution from lattice vibrations. We have calibrated our results against known exact solutions for limiting cases with very high accuracy. Having understood this problem, we are now extending our Langevin code to higher dimensions.

The nonlinear evolution of the Weibel instability driven by the anisotropy of the electron distribution function in a collisionless plasma is investigated in a spatially one-dimensional configuration with a Vlasov code in a two-dimensional velocity space. It is found that the electromagnetic fields generated by this instability cause a strong deformation of the electron distribution function in phase space, corresponding to highly filamented magnetic vortices. Eventually, these deformations lead to the generation of short wavelength Langmuir modes that form highly localized electrostatic structures corresponding to jumps of the electrostatic potential.

We consider the one-dimensional propagation of electromagnetic waves in a weakly nonlinear and low-contrast spatially inhomogeneous medium with no energy dissipation. We focus on the case of a periodic medium, in which dispersion enters only through the (Floquet-Bloch) spectral band dispersion associated with the periodic structure; chromatic dispersion (time-nonlocality of the polarization) is neglected. Numerical simulations show that for initial conditions of wave-packet type (a plane wave of fixed carrier frequency multiplied by a slow varying, spatially localized function) very long-lived spatially localized coherent soliton-like structures emerge, whose character is that of a slowly varying envelope of a train of shocks. We call this structure an envelope carrier-shock train. The structure of the solution violates the oft-assumed nearly monochromatic wave packet structure, whose envelope is governed by the nonlinear coupled mode equations (NLCME). The inconsistency and inaccuracy of NLCME lies in the neglect of all (infinitely many) resonances except for the principle resonance induced by the initial carrier frequency. We derive, via a nonlinear geometrical optics expansion, a system of nonlocal integro-differential equations governing the coupled evolution of backward and forward propagating waves. These equations incorporate effects of all resonances. In a periodic medium, these equations may be expressed as a system of infinitely many coupled mode equations, which we call the extended nonlinear coupled mode system (xNLCME). Truncating xNLCME to include only the principle resonances leads to the classical NLCME. Numerical simulations of xNLCME demonstrate that it captures both large scale features, related to third harmonic generation, and fine scale carrier shocks features of the nonlinear periodic Maxwell equations.

Motivated by the problem of the formation of active regions from a deep-seated solar magnetic field, we consider the nonlinear three-dimensional evolution of magnetic buoyancy instabilities resulting from a smoothly stratified horizontal magnetic field. By exploring the case for which the instability is continuously driven we have identified a new mechanism for the formation of concentrations of magnetic flux.

In laser-plasma experiments, we observed that ion acceleration from the Coulomb explosion of the plasma channel bored by the laser, is prevented when multiple plasma instabilities such as filamentation and hosing, and nonlinear coherent structures (vortices/post-solitons) appear in the wake of an ultrashort laser pulse. The tailoring of the longitudinal plasma density ramp allows us to control the onset of these insabilities. We deduced that the laser pulse is depleted into these structures in our conditions, when a plasma at about 10% of the critical density exhibits a gradient on the order of 250 {\mu}m (gaussian fit), thus hindering the acceleration. A promising experimental setup with a long pulse is demonstrated enabling the excitation of an isolated coherent structure for polarimetric measurements and, in further perspectives, parametric studies of ion plasma acceleration efficiency.

Starting from the von Neumann-Maxwell equations for the Wigner quasi-probability distribution and for the self-consistent electric field, the quantum analog of the classical single-wave model has been derived. The linear stability of the quantum single-wave model has been studied, and periodic in time patterns have been found both analytically and numerically. In addition, some features of quantum chaos have been detected in the unstable region in parameter space. Further, a class of standing-wave solutions of the quantum single-wave model has also been found, which have been observed to behave as stable solitary-wave structures. The analytical results have been finally compared to the exact system dynamics obtained by solving the corresponding equations in Schrodinger representation numerically.

We determine conditions under which a generic gauge invariant nonautonomous and inhomogeneous nonlinear partial differential equation in the two-dimensional space-time continuum can be transform into standard autonomous forms. In addition to the nonlinear Schroedinger equation, important examples include the derivative nonlinear Schroedinger equation, the quintic complex Ginzburg-Landau equation, and the Gerdjikov-Ivanov equation. This approach provides a mathematical description of nonstationary media supporting unidimensional signal propagation and/or total field trapping. In particular, we study self-similar and nonspreading wave packets for Schroedinger equations. Some other important coherent structures are also analyzed and applications to nonlinear waves in inhomogeneous media such as atmospheric plasma, fiber optics, hydrodynamics, and Bose-Einstein condensation are discussed.

A specific, genuinely three-dimensional mechanism of rogue wave formation, in a late stage of the modulational instability of a perturbed Stokes deep-water wave, is recognized through numerical experiments. The simulations are based on fully nonlinear equations describing weakly three-dimensional potential flows of an ideal fluid with a free surface in terms of conformal variables. Spontaneous formation of zigzag patterns for wave amplitude is observed in a nonlinear stage of the instability. If initial wave steepness is sufficiently high ($ka>0.06$), these coherent structures produce rogue waves. The most tall waves appear in ``turns'' of the zigzags. For $ka

The interaction of coherent nonlinear structures (such as sub-cycle solitons, electron vortices and wake Langmuir waves) with a strong wake wave in a collisionless plasma can be exploited in order to produce ultra-short electromagnetic pulses. The electromagnetic field of a coherent nonlinear structure is partially reflected by the electron density modulations of the incident wake wave and a single-cycle high-intensity electromagnetic pulse is formed. Due to the Doppler effect the length of this pulse is much shorter than that of the coherent nonlinear structure. This process is illustrated with two-dimensional Particle-in-Cell simulations. The considered laser-plasma interaction regimes can be achieved in present day experiments and can be used for plasma diagnostics.

Coherent structures emerge from the dynamics of many kinds of dissipative, externally driven, nonlinear systems, and continue to provoke new questions that challenge our physical and mathematical understanding. In one specific sub-class of such problems, where a pattern-forming, or `Turing', instability occurs, rapid progress has been made recently in our understanding of the formation of localized states: patches of regular pattern surrounded by the unpatterned homogeneous background state. This short review article surveys the progress that has been made for localized states, proposes three areas of application for these ideas that would take the theory in new directions and ultimately be of substantial benefit to areas of applied science. Finally I offer speculations for future work, based on localized states, that may help researchers to understand coherent structures more generally.

Turbulence and chaos play a fundamental role in stellar convective zones through the transportof particles, energy and momentum, and in fast dynamos, through the stretching, twisting and folding of magnetic flux tubes. A particularly revealing way to describe turbulent motions is through the analysis of Lagrangian coherent structures (LCS), which are material lines or surfaces that act as transport barriers in the fluid. We report the detection of Lagrangian coherent structures in helical MHD dynamo simulations with scale separation. In an ABC--flow, two dynamo regimes, a propagating coherent mean--field regime and an intermittent regime, are identified as the magnetic diffusivity is varied. The sharp contrast between the chaotic tangle of attracting and repelling LCS in both regimes permits a unique analysis of the impact of the magnetic field on the velocity field. In a second example, LCS reveal the link between the level of chaotic mixing of the velocity field and the saturation of a large--scale dynamo when the magnetic field exceeds the equipartition value.