Colliding gravitational waves with noncollinear polarization: A class of soliton solutions

We construct a general class of exact solutions of the vacuum Einstein field equations describing the interaction of colliding gravitational plane waves with noncollinear polarization by using the inverse scattering method.     

Electromagnetic waves in dielectrics with memory

We analyse electromagnetic wave propagation in a dielectric with memory of the Maxwell-Hopkinson type. We show that the components of the electric and magnetic fields satisfy two different scalar wave equations and we first look for their harmonic plane wave solutions. Then we prove that dielectrics with memory can also support approximate Courant-Hilbert waves. We discuss the equations to be solved to get all the components of the electromagnetic field from a scalar solution from each wave equation and TE, TM harmonic plane waves are explicitly given.     

Comment on colliding plane gravitational waves

It is shown that a theorem proved on colliding plane gravitational waves is not correct.     

The harmonic-map structure of the axially symmetric stationary Einstein equations

We systematically review the solutions of the vacuum Einstein equations for the axially symmetric stationary case which are harmonic maps. In particular, we show that the interesting part of the Kerr solution is a composition of a harmonic map intoH ₁ ² with a totally geodesic map fromH ₁ ² into SS(1,1). We also point out, relying on Sanchez' results, that there is an analogous structure for the Lorentz-domain cases involving cylindrical gravitational waves and colliding plane waves.     

Approximate Noether symmetries of the geodesic equations for the charged-Kerr spacetime and rescaling of energy

Using approximate symmetry methods for differential equations we have investigated the exact and approximate symmetries of a Lagrangian for the geodesic equations in the Kerr spacetime. Taking Minkowski spacetime as the exact case, it is shown that the symmetry algebra of the Lagrangian is 17 dimensional. This algebra is related to the 15 dimensional Lie algebra of conformal isometries of Minkowski spacetime. First introducing spin angular momentum per unit mass as a small parameter we consider first-order approximate symmetries of the Kerr metric as a first perturbation of the Schwarzschild metric. We then consider the second-order approximate symmetries of the Kerr metric as a second perturbation of the Minkowski metric. The approximate symmetries are recovered for these spacetimes and there are no non- trivial approximate symmetries. A rescaling of the arc length parameter for consistency of the trivial second-order approximate symmetries of the geodesic equations indicates that the energy in the charged-Kerr metric has to be rescaled and the rescaling factor is r-dependent. This re-scaling factor is compared with that for the Reissner–Nordström metric.     

Colliding plane gravitational waves with colinear polarization

The colliding plane wave problem is considered using an unconventional coordinate system. This permits a complete solution to be explicitly stated for the general case of arbitrary approaching waves with constant and aligned polarization.     

Interacting electromagnetic waves in general relativity

The problem is considered of finding exact solutions of the Einstein-Maxwell equations which describe the physical situation of two colliding and subsequently interacting electromagnetic waves. The general theory of relativity predicts a nonlinear interaction between electromagnetic waves. The situation is described using an approximate geometrical method, and a new exact solution describing two interacting electromagnetic waves is given. This describes waves emitted from two sources mutually focusing each other on the opposite source.     

Asymmetric collision of gravitational plane waves: A new class of exact solutions

A new three-parameter class of solutions to the Einstein vacuum equations is presented which represents the collision of a pair of gravitational plane waves. Depending on the choice of the parameters, one of the colliding waves has a smooth or unbounded wavefront, or it is a shock, or impulsive, or shock accompanied by an impulsive wave, while the second is any of the above types. A subfamily of the solutions develops no curvature singularity in the interaction region formed by the colliding waves.Expanded version of a talk presented at the Third National Workshop on Recent Developments in Gravitation, September 12–16, 1988, Ioannina, Greece.     

TM plane wave scattering and diffraction from a randomly rough half-plane: (part II) An evaluation of the diffraction kernel

In a previous paper (part I), it has been shown that a random wavefield from a randomly rough half-plane for a TM plane wave incidence is written in terms of a Wiener-Hermite expansion with three types of Fourier integrals. This paper studies a concrete representation of the random wavefield by an approximate evaluation of such Fourier integrals, and statistical properties of scattering and diffraction. For a Gaussian roughness spectrum, intensities of the coherent wavefield and the first-order incoherent wavefield are calculated and shown in figures. It is then found that the coherent scattering intensity decreases in the illumination side, but is almost invariant in the shadow side. The incoherent scattering intensity spreads widely in the illumination side, and have ripples at near the grazing angle. Moreover, a major peak at near the antispecular direction, and associated ripples appear in the shadow side. The incoherent scattering intensity increases rapidly at near the random half-plane. These new phenomena for the incoherent scattering are caused by couplings between TM guided waves supported by a slightly random surface and edge diffracted waves excited by a plane wave incidence or by free guided waves on a flat plane without any roughness.     

Spherical and non-spherical bubbles in cosmological phase transitions

The cosmological remnants of a first-order phase transition generally depend on the perturbations that the walls of expanding bubbles originate in the plasma. Several of the formation mechanisms occur when bubbles collide and lose their spherical symmetry. However, spherical bubbles are often considered in the literature, in particular for the calculation of gravitational waves. We study the steady state motion of bubble walls for different bubble symmetries. Using the bag equation of state, we discuss the propagation of phase transition fronts as detonations and subsonic or supersonic deflagrations. We consider the cases of spherical, cylindrical and planar walls, and compare the energy transferred to bulk motions of the relativistic fluid. We find that the different wall geometries give similar perturbations of the plasma. For the case of planar walls, we obtain analytical expressions for the kinetic energy in the bulk motions. As an application, we discuss the generation of gravitational waves.     

Hydrodynamics of a quark-gluon plasma undergoing a phase transition

We present a new method for solving the relativistic hydrodynamic equations. This method allows a simple and reliable numerical treatment of shock waves. We check its accuracy in one-dimensional problems for which analytical solutions are known. Then we apply it to a 3-dimensional calculation of the evolution of a quark-gluon plasma, assuming cylindrical symmetry and longitudinal boost invariance. We treat the hadronization as a first-order phase transition and study the effects of this phase transition on the final distributions of particles. In particular, we analyse the possible correlations between particle multiplicities and transverse momenta which might signal the occurrence of such a phase transition in heavy ion collisions.     

Pseudo-spectral methods and linear instabilities in reaction-diffusion fronts

We explore the application of a pseudo-spectral Fourier method to a set of reaction-diffusion equations and compare it with a second-order finite difference method. The prototype cubic autocatalytic reaction-diffusion model as discussed by Gray and Scott [Chem. Eng. Sci. 42, 307 (1987)] with a nonequilibrium constraint is adopted. In a spatial resolution study we find that the phase speeds of one-dimensional finite amplitude waves converge more rapidly for the spectral method than for the finite difference method. Furthermore, in two dimensions the symmetry preserving properties of the spectral method are shown to be superior to those of the finite difference method. In studies of plane/axisymmetric nonlinear waves a symmetry breaking linear instability is shown to occur and is one possible route for the formation of patterns from infinitesimal perturbations to finite amplitude waves in this set of reaction-diffusion equations. (c) 1996 American Institute of Physics.     

Colliding plane waves in non-abelian gauge theory

A new explicit solution of the classical SU(2) Yang-Mills equations is given. It describes two colliding wave packets, which asymptotically are abelian plane waves localized in the direction of propagation. Although the interaction is nonlinear, the wave packets retain their identity.     

A nonlocal Burgers equation in atmospheric dynamical system and its exact solutions

From a two-vortex interaction model in atmospheric and oceanic systems, a nonlocal counterpart with shifted parity and delayed time reversal is derived by a simple AB reduction. To obtain some approximate analytic solutions of this nonlocal system, the multi-scale expansion method is applied to get an AB-Burgers system. Various exact solutions of the AB-Burgers equation, including elliptic periodic waves, kink waves and solitary waves, are obtained and shown graphically.To show the applications of these solutions in describing correlated events, a simple approximate solution for the two-vortex interaction model is given to show two correlated dipole blocking events at two different places. Furthermore, symmetry reduction solutions of the nonlocal AB-Burgers equation are also given by using the standard Lie symmetry method.     

Fast prediction of scattered sound field based on Fourier diffraction theory under second-order born approximation

The directional pattern of sound waves scattered from an object insonified by a plane wave can be efficiently predicted using the Fourier diffraction theorem (FDT). This is achieved by sampling a circle in the discrete Fourier transform of the object/medium distribution. However, the FDT-based approach under the first-order Born approximation is only applicable to weak scattering. To improve the prediction accuracy and expand the method’s scope of applications, we introduce a second-order correction term to the solution, which is obtained by taking the first-order scattered waves as secondary incident sources, and calculate the “scattering” in the same way as in the first-order FDT-based approach. Adding the resulting correction term to the directional pattern based on the first-order Born approximation, the second-order prediction is obtained. Numerical results show that the proposed method can provide improved directional patterns of the scattered waves, and the range of applicability is significantly expanded.     

New Singular and Nonsingular Colliding Wave Solutions in Einstein-Maxwell-Scalar Theory

A technique is given to generate coupled scalar field solutions in colliding Einstein-Maxwell (EM) waves. By employing the Bell-Szekeres solution as seed and depending on the chosen scalar field, it is possible to construct nonsingular solutions. If the original EM solution is already singular, addition of scalar fields does not make the physics any better. In particular, scalar field solution that is transformable to spherical symmetry is plagued with singularities.     

Traveling periodic waves of chemical activity

It is shown that within the manifold of exact solutions a system of reaction-diffusion equations admits only travelling waves with planar symmetry. A derivation of the generic form of approximate (asymptotic) cylindrical and spiral travelling periodic wave solutions is given. If an exact solution homogeneous in space and periodic in time is admitted by the system of reaction-diffusion equations, then travelling periodic spiral waves are admissble as approximate solutions. This is the theoretical explanation for the travelling periodic waves of chemical activity observed in recent experiments.     

Coherent collisions between Bose-Einstein condensates

We study the nondegenerate parametric amplifier for matter waves, implemented by colliding two Bose-Einstein condensates. The coherence of the amplified waves is shown by observing high contrast interference with a reference wave and by reversing the amplification process. Since our experiments also place limits on all known sources of decoherence, we infer that relative number squeezing is most likely present between the amplified modes. Finally, we suggest that reversal of the amplification process may be used to detect relative number squeezing without requiring subshot-noise detection.     

Spatial symmetry breaking in the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction with light-induced remote communication

Domains containing spiral waves form on a stationary background in a photosensitive Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction with light-induced alternating nonlocal feedback. Complex behavior of colliding and splitting wave fragments is found with feedback radii comparable to the spiral wavelength. A linear stability analysis of the uniform stationary states in an Oregonator model reveals a spatial symmetry breaking instability. Numerical simulations show behavior in agreement with that found experimentally and also predict a variety of other new patterns.