The Inverse Spectral Method for Colliding Gravitational Waves

The problem of colliding gravitational waves gives rise to a Goursat problem in the triangular region 1 x < y 1 for a certain 2 × 2 matrix valued nonlinear equation. This equation, which is a particular exact reduction of the vacuum Einstein equations, is integrable, i.e. it possesses a Lax pair formulation. Using the simultaneous spectral analysis of this Lax pair we study the above Goursat problem as well as its linearized version. It is shown that the linear problem reduces to a scalar Riemann–Hilbert problem, which can be solved in closed form, while the nonlinear problem reduces to a 2 × 2 matrix Riemann–Hilbert problem, which under certain conditions is solvable.     

Differences Between Consecutive Primes

Let p_n be the nth prime. Then this paper is concerned with provingthe following result on the distribution of consecutive primes. The exponent of x in this theorem improves on the work of Heath-Brownwho proved (1) with exponent . Under the Riemann hypothesisone can prove (1) with exponent .The proof of the theorem startswith the Heath-Brown–Linnik identity which leads to aformula giving the number of primes in an interval in termsof coefficients of certain Dirichlet series. I then estimatethe coefficients by using, among other things, the informationwhich can be gained from Montgomery's mean value theorem andHuxley's version of the Hal' asz lemma. Furthermore, by usingfamiliar sieve arguments I am able to discard some of the coefficientsallowing us to gain an improvement over the previous resultof Heath-Brown. 1991 Mathematics Subject Classification: 11N05.     

The Modified Korteweg-de Vries Equation on the Half-Line with a Sine-Wave as Dirichlet Datum

Boundary value problems for integrable nonlinear evolution PDEs, like the modified KdV equation, formulated on the half-line can be analyzed by the so-called unified transform method. For the modified KdV equation, this method yields the solution in terms of the solution of a matrix Riemann-Hilbert problem uniquely determined in terms of the initial datum q(x,0), as well as of the boundary values {q(0, t),qx(0, t),qxx(0, t)}. For the Dirichlet problem, it is necessary to characterize the unknown boundary values qx(0, t) and qxx(0, t) in terms of the given data q(x, 0) and q(0, t). It is shown here that in the particular case of a vanishing initial datum and of a sine wave as Dirichlet datum, qx(0, t) and qxx(0, t) can be computed explicitly at least up to third order in a perturbative expansion and that at least up to this order, these functions are asymptotically periodic for large t.     

Rogue wave management in an inhomogeneous Nonlinear Fibre with higher order effects

We consider an inhomogeneous Hirota equation with variable dispersion and nonlinearity. We introduce a novel transformation which maps this equation to a constant coefficient Hirota equation. By employing this transformation we construct the rogue wave solution of the inhomogeneous Hirota equation. Furthermore, we demonstrate that one can control the rogue wave dynamics by suitably choosing the dispersion and the nonlinearity. These results suggest an efficient approach for controlling the basic features of the relevant rogue wave and may have practical implications for the management of the rogue waves in nonlinear optical systems.     

Quantum superarrivals and information transfer through a time-varying boundary

The time-dependent Schrödinger equation is solved numerically for the case of a Gaussian wave packet incident on a time-varying potential barrier. The time evolving reflection and transmission probabilities of the wave packet are computed for several different time-dependent boundary conditions obtained by reducing or increasing the height of the potential barrier. We show that in the case when the barrier height is reduced to zero, a time interval is found during which the reflection probability is larger (superarrivals) compared to the unperturbed case. We further show that the transmission probability exhibits superarrivals when the barrier is raised from zero to a finite value of its height. Superarrivals could be understood by ascribing the features of a real physical field to the Schrödinger wave function which acts as a carrier through which a disturbance, resulting from the boundary condition being perturbed, prpagates from the barrier to the detectors measuring reflected and transmitted probabilities. The speed of propagation of this effect depends upon the rate of reducing or raising the barrier height, thus suggesting an application for secure information transfer using superarrivals.     

Dynamical complexity in the C.elegans neural network

We model the neuronal circuit of the C.elegans soil worm in terms of a Hindmarsh-Rose system of ordinary differential equations, dividing its circuit into six communities which are determined via the Walktrap and Louvain methods. Using the numerical solution of these equations, we analyze important measures of dynamical complexity, namely synchronicity, the largest Lyapunov exponent, and the Φ_AR auto-regressive integrated information theory measure. We show that Φ_AR provides a useful measure of the information contained in the C.elegans brain dynamic network. Our analysis reveals that the C.elegans brain dynamic network generates more information than the sum of its constituent parts, and that attains higher levels of integrated information for couplings for which either all its communities are highly synchronized, or there is a mixed state of highly synchronized and desynchronized communities.     

On Two Useful Identities in the Theory of Ellipsoidal Harmonics

Two identities on ellipsoidal harmonics, which appear naturally in the theory of boundary value problems, are stated and proved. The first involves the ellipsoidal analogue of the Beltrami operator in spherical coordinates (also known as surface Laplacian). The second identity includes the tangential surface gradient operator defined as the cross product of the unit normal with the gradient operator on an ellipsoidal surface. In both cases, the basic spectral properties of these two operators, as they act on the surface ellipsoidal harmonics, are provided.