Bifurcation,stability and symmetry of nonlinear waves

The bifurcation of wave-like spatio-temporal structures due to a hard-mode instability at non-zero wave number is investigated for a simple class of driven systems in one space dimension. We find generically a bifurcation of two branches of waves, travelling waves and standing waves, characterized by nontrivial subgroups of the symmetry group of the system. If both branches are supercritical, the wave with the larger amplitude is found to be stable. In all other cases, both waves are unstable for small amplitudes. At the common boundary of the stability regions of the two wave types in parameter space we find a bifurcation of a branch of modulated waves involving two independent frequencies, connecting the branches of travelling waves and standing waves.Work supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation     

The effects of unequal diffusion coefficients on periodic travelling waves in oscillatory reaction-diffusion systems

Many oscillatory biological systems show periodic travelling waves. These are often modelled using coupled reaction-diffusion equations. However, the effects of different movement rates (diffusion coefficients) of the interacting components on the predictions of these equations are largely unknown. Here we investigate the ways in which varying the diffusion coefficients in such equations alters the wave speed, time period, wavelength, amplitude and stability of periodic wave solutions. We focus on two sets of kinetics that are commonly used in ecological applications: lambda-omega equations, which are the normal form of an oscillatory coupled reaction-diffusion system close to a supercritical Hopf bifurcation, and a standard predator-prey model. Our results show that changing the ratio of the diffusion coefficients can significantly alter the shape of the one-parameter family of periodic travelling wave solutions. The position of the boundary between stable and unstable waves also depends on the ratio of the diffusion coefficients: in all cases, stability changes through an Eckhaus (‘sideband’) instability. These effects are always symmetrical in the two diffusion coefficients for the lambda-omega equations, but are asymmetric in the predator-prey equations, especially when the limit cycle of the kinetics is of large amplitude. In particular, there are two separate regions of stable waves in the travelling wave family for some parameter values in the predator-prey scenario. Our results also show the existence of a one-parameter family of travelling waves, but not necessarily a Hopf bifurcation, for all values of the diffusion coefficients. Simulations of the full partial differential equations reveals that varying the ratio of the diffusion coefficients can significantly change the properties of periodic travelling waves that arise from particular wave generation mechanisms, and our analysis of the travelling wave families assists in the understanding of these effects.     

Nonlinear Wavepackets in Kelvin-Helmholtz Instability in Hydromagnetics

The instability of small but finite amplitude waves propagating at the interface of two layers of highly conducting incompressible fluids in relative motion in presence of external uniform magnetic field is studied. Using the method of multiple scales nonlinear evolution equations are derived for both linearly stable and marginally stable cases. It is found that in the linearly stable case both the modes are modulationally unstable. The nonlinear cut-off wavenumbers are determined.     

Instability of a spherical drop in the field of an electrical dipole

Analytical calculations show that, as a field in which an initially spherical charged conducting incompressible drop is placed becomes more and more nonuniform, coupling between the drop’s oscillation modes grows and the threshold of stability against the electrical field pressure declines. When an electrostatic parameter characterizing the electric field pressure exceeds a value that is critical for a certain mode to be unstable, the amplitude of this mode exponentially grows in an aperiodic manner and the amplitudes of modes coupled with this mode build up in an oscillatory manner, each mode having its own instability growth rate. In all cases, there exists a threshold value of the dimensionless electric parameter above which all oscillation modes are unstable.     

Chemical waves as a result of instability in reaction-diffusion systems

Many-component reaction-diffusion systems are shown to be able to undergo the instability, leading to the spontaneous formation of waves. In the one-dimensional case the general equations, governing the dynamics in the neighbourhood of the wave-type instability point, are derived. The investigation of all steady state solutions of these equations shows that depending on the magnitude of only one essential parameter stable are either a uniform running wave and “leading center” regime or a uniform standing wave. All other solutions are unstable.     

金属锡Rayleigh-Taylor不稳定性对模型参数敏感性的数值分析

利用自研的爆轰与冲击动力学欧拉计算程序和Steinberg-Guinan(SG)本构模型,数值模拟分析了样品初始参数(初始振幅、初始波长、样品初始厚度)和SG本构模型初始参数对爆轰驱动锡Rayleigh-Taylor(RT)不稳定性增长的影响。结果表明金属锡样品的初始参数对其RT不稳定性增长有很大的影响。RT不稳定性增长随着初始振幅的减小而减小,且存在一个截止初始振幅;存在一个最不稳定的模态(波长),当初始波长大于该波长时,RT不稳定性增长随着初始波长的减小而增大,反之,RT不稳定性增长随着初始波长的减小而减小;样品厚度的增大可以抑制RT不稳定性增长,而且存在一个样品截止厚度。金属锡的RT不稳定性增长对其SG本构模型应变硬化系数和应变硬化指数的变化不敏感,而对压力硬化系数和热软化系数比较敏感。从采用扰动增长法预估材料强度的角度来说,修正压力硬化系数以获得锡合理的材料强度是合理的途径。     

Nonlinear analysis of traffic flow on a gradient highway

We investigate the slope effects upon traffic flow on a single lane gradient (uphill/downhill) highway analytically and numerically. The stability condition, neutral stability condition and instability condition are obtained by the use of linear stability theory. It is found that stability of traffic flow on the gradient varies with the slopes. The Burgers, Korteweg-de Vries (KdV) and modified Korteweg-de Vries (mKdV) equations are derived to describe the triangular shock waves, soliton waves and kink-antikink waves in the stable, meta-stable and unstable region respectively. A series of simulations are carried out to reproduce the triangular shock waves, kink-antikink waves and soliton waves. Results show that amplitudes of the triangular shock waves and kink-antikink waves vary with the slopes, the soliton wave appears in an upward form when the average headway is less than the safety distance and a downward form when the average headway is more than the safety distance. Moreover both the kink-antikink waves and the solitary waves propagate backwards. The numerical simulation shows a good agreement with the analytical result.     

一维爆轰波在扰动来流中传播的数值研究

爆轰波在静止气体或定常来流中的传播得到了广泛研究, 然而在扰动来流中的传播研究较少。这方面的研究不仅是爆轰传播机制的重要组成部分, 还可为爆轰发动机的应用提供参考。文章基于两步诱导-放热总包反应模型, 开展了一维爆轰波在正弦密度扰动来流中的传播数值模拟。通过对数值结果分析, 获得了放热反应控制参数与爆轰波内在不稳定性的关系, 并在此基础上研究了扰动波长和幅值对一维爆轰波动力学过程的影响。研究发现, 在波前施加连续扰动会诱导爆轰波表现出更复杂的动力学行为, 且影响过程与爆轰波的内在不稳定性相关。对于稳定爆轰波, 扰动只在特定波长范围内引起前导激波后的压力振荡。对于不稳定爆轰波, 扰动会进一步强化其内在不稳定性。扰动幅值越大, 对爆轰波动力学过程的影响越显著。      

Parametric excitation of spin waves in ferromagnets by longitudinal pumping localized in space

The equations of motion for the slowly varying complex amplitudes of spin waves parametrically excited by a localized pumping magnetic field have been derived. A solution of these equations satisfying given boundary and initial conditions has been obtained. The energy dissipated by spin waves decreases with the pumping intensity beyond a certain pumping power, which can be termed the regeneration threshold. The losses vanish and change sign at the instability threshold. Both thresholds depend heavily on the linear dimension L of the pumping zone, increasing with decreasing L. Owing to the regeneration process, the dissipation length of spin waves increases without bound as the pumping power approaches the instability threshold. Consequently, perturbations of a uniform state due to the boundary penetrate throughout the pumping zone, regardless of the dimension L. As a result, the full pattern of parametric instability is strongly affected by the zone boundary: 1) the spatial distribution of wave amplitudes becomes nonuniform everywhere inside the zone; 2) the amplitude growth rate in the unstable regime decreases at all points when perturbations due to the boundary reach these points; 3) the instability threshold is independent of the spin-wave frequency offset from the parametric resonance frequency. The calculated minimum instability threshold as a function of the bias magnetic field (the “butterfly” curve) changes shape with L, in agreement with the available experimental data. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 111, 199–219 (January 1997)     

Resonant Wave-Particle Interaction in an Explosively Unstable Beam-Plasma System II. Investigation of the Relaxation Behaviour of the Electron Beam

Three typical saturation mechanisms of the explosive instability (EI) in a beam-plasma system are investigated. It is shown that the maximum values of the electric field strengths of the explosively unstable plasma waves can be of the same order as the maximum wave amplitude of the linearly unstable waves. Some conclusions with regard to the role played by the EI in the evolution of a real beam-plasma system are presented. The relaxation of a strongly modulated electron beam by the explosive wave coupling mechanism is examined in an appendix. A qualitative interpretation of the diversity of the EI saturation mechanisms found in this investigation is given.     

Nonlinear total internal reflection of electromagnetic waves

We study the stationary solution of an unstable system of interacting inhomogeneous electromagnetic waves and an acoustic wave. It is shown that the instability of this system is of hard type and the threshold of its vanishing is smaller than the excitation threshold. When the amplitude of the incident wave exceeds the threshold value there occurs interaction with partial nonlinear layer transmission, which is changed by large reflection for a large wave amplitude. In this case, the total reflection in the direction opposite to the incident wave and in the specular direction can be greater than in the absence of interaction. A parameter region in which the backward reflection dominates the specular reflection is shown. Radiophysical Research Institute, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia. Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Radiofizika, Vol. 40, No. 9, pp. 1132–1143, September, 1997.     

Modulational instability in crossing sea states: a possible mechanism for the formation of freak waves

Here we consider a simple weakly nonlinear model that describes the interaction of two-wave systems in deep water with two different directions of propagation. Under the hypothesis that both sea systems are narrow banded, we derive from the Zakharov equation two coupled nonlinear Schr?dinger equations. Given a single unstable plane wave, here we show that the introduction of a second plane wave, propagating in a different direction, can result in an increase of the instability growth rates and enlargement of the instability region. We discuss these results in the context of the formation of rogue waves.     

Note on wavefront dislocation in surface water waves

At singular points of a wave field, where the amplitude vanishes, the phase may become singular and wavefront dislocation may occur. In this Letter we investigate for wave fields in one spatial dimension the appearance of these essentially linear phenomena. We introduce the Chu-Mei quotient as it is known to appear in the ‘nonlinear dispersion relation’ for wave groups as a consequence of the nonlinear transformation of the complex amplitude to real phase-amplitude variables. We show that unboundedness of this quotient at a singular point, related to unboundedness of the local wavenumber and frequency, is a generic property and that it is necessary for the occurrence of phase singularity and wavefront dislocation, while these phenomena are generic too. We also show that the ‘soliton on finite background’, an explicit solution of the NLS equation and a model for modulational instability leading to extreme waves, possesses wavefront dislocations and unboundedness of the Chu-Mei quotient.     

Numerical Study of the Instability in a Maxwellian Beam-Plasma System II. Many Wave Regime

The relaxation of the beam-plasma system with several preliminarily excited unstable waves in its spectrum is investigated on the basis of computer simulations. The nature of the waves and particles interaction during the instability development is analysed. It is shown that the destroying of the amplitude oscillations of the single wave after saturation in the presence of additional waves is caused by the well known effect of resonance overlapping. A chaotization of the motion of the beam particles occurs even in the case when the amplitudes of the neighbouring waves are small.     

On the characteristic time for the realization of instability on a flat charged liquid surface

A nonlinear integral equation that describes the time evolution of the amplitude of a nonlinear unstable wave on the flat uniform charged surface of an ideal incompressible liquid has been derived and solved. The characteristic time for the realization of instability is found to be determined by the initial amplitude of a virtual wave initiating the instability and the supercritical increment in the Tonks-Frenkel parameter. At a zero supercritical increment, the characteristic time for the realization of instability is only determined by the initial amplitude and can be rather long (up to eight hours). This effect is characteristic of a flat charged liquid surface and does not occur in charged drops.     

Effect of phase noise on parametric instabilities

We report an experimental study on the effect of an external phase noise on the parametric amplification of surface waves. We observe that both the instability growth rate and the wave amplitude above the instability onset are decreased in the presence of noise. We show that all the results can be understood with a deterministic amplitude equation for the wave in which the effect of noise is just to change the forcing term. All the data for the growth rate (respectively the wave amplitude), obtained for different forcing amplitudes and different intensities of the noise, can be collapsed on a single curve using this renormalized forcing in the presence of noise.     

爆轰加载下弹塑性固体Richtmyer-Meshkov流动的扰动增长规律

研究了冲击波加载弹塑性材料扰动自由面的动力学演化过程,分析了高能炸药爆轰驱动时初始扰动与材料性质对扰动增长的影响.研究结果表明:初始扰动的振幅与波长之比越高,扰动越易增长,强度越高的材料扰动增长幅度越小;扰动增长被抑制时,尖钉的最大振幅与增长速度无量纲数之间存在线性近似关系,进一步理论分析表明尖钉的振幅增长因子与加载压力、初始扰动形态和材料强度有关,该理论关系作为扰动增长规律的线性近似在一定范围内适用于多种金属材料.     

Linear mechanism of surface gravity wave generation in horizontally sheared flow

An analysis is presented of a linear mechanism of surface gravity wave generation in a horizontally sheared flow in a fluid layer with free boundary. A free-surface flow of this type is found to be algebraically unstable. The development of instability leads to the formation of surface gravity waves whose amplitude grows with time according to a power law. Flow stability is analyzed by using a nonmodal approach in which the behavior of a spatial Fourier harmonic of a disturbance is considered in a semi-Lagrangian frame of reference moving with the flow. Shear-flow disturbances are divided into two classes (wave and vortex disturbances) depending on the value of potential vorticity. It is shown that vortex disturbances decay with time while the energy of wave disturbances increases indefinitely. Transformation of vortex disturbances into wave ones under strong shear is described.