We show that the number of solitons produced from an arbitrary initial pulse of the simple wave type can be calculated analytically if its evolution is governed by a generalized nonlinear Schr{o}dinger equation provided this number is large enough. T
he final result generalizes the asymptotic formula derived for completely integrable nonlinear wave equations like the standard NLS equation with the use of the inverse scattering transform method.
We study evolution of pulses propagating through focusing nonlinear media. Small disturbance on the smooth initial non-uniform background leads to formation of the region of strong nonlinear oscillations. We develop here an asymptotic method for find
ing the law of motion of the front of this region. The method is applied to the focusing nonlinear Schroedinger equation for the particular cases of Talanov and Akhmanov-Sukhorukov-Khokhlov initial distributions with zero initial phase. The approximate analytical results agree well with the exact numerical solutions for these two problems.
We present an introduction to the theory of dispersive shock waves in the framework of the approach proposed by Gurevich and Pitaevskii (Zh. Eksp. Teor. Fiz., 65, 590 (1973) [Sov. Phys. JETP, 38, 291 (1974)]) based on the Whitham theory of modulation
of nonlinear waves. We explain how Whitham equations for a periodic solution can be derived for the Korteweg-de Vries equation and outline some elementary methods to solve them. We illustrate this approach with solutions to the main problems discussed by Gurevich and Pitaevskii. We consider a generalization of the theory to systems with weak dissipation and discuss the theory of dispersive shock waves for the Gross-Pitaevskii equation.
We consider propagation of high-frequency wave packets along a smooth evolving background flow whose evolution is described by a simple-wave type of solutions of hydrodynamic equations. In geometrical optics approximation, the motion of the wave pack
et obeys the Hamilton equations with the dispersion law playing the role of the Hamiltonian. This Hamiltonian depends also on the amplitude of the background flow obeying the Hopf-like equation for the simple wave. The combined system of Hamilton and Hopf equations can be reduced to a single ordinary differential equation whose solution determines the value of the background amplitude at the location of the wave packet. This approach extends the results obtained in Ref.~cite{ceh-19} for the rarefaction background flow to arbitrary simple-wave type background flows. The theory is illustrated by its application to waves obeying the KdV equation.
The theory of motion of edges of dispersive shock waves generated after wave breaking of simple waves is developed. It is shown that this motion obeys Hamiltonian mechanics complemented by a Hopf-like equation for evolution of the background flow tha
t interacts with edge wave packets or edge solitons. A conjecture about existence of a certain symmetry between equations for the small-amplitude and soliton edges is formulated. In case of localized simple wave pulses propagating through a quiescent medium this theory provided a new approach to derivation of an asymptotic formula for the number of solitons produced eventually from such a pulse.
We consider the one-dimensional dynamics of nonlinear non-dispersive waves. The problem can be mapped onto a linear one by means of the hodograph transform. We propose an approximate scheme for solving the corresponding Euler-Poisson equation which i
s valid for any kind of nonlinearity. The approach is exact for monoatomic classical gas and agrees very well with exact results and numerical simulations for other systems. We also provide a simple and accurate determination of the wave breaking time for typical initial conditions.
An alternative approach to solving the Landau-Khalatnikov problem on one-dimensional stage of expansion of hot hadronic matter created in collisions of high-energy particles or nuclei is suggested. Solving the relativistic hydrodynamics equations by
the Riemann method yields a representation for Khalatnikovs potential which satisfies explicitly the condition of symmetry of the matter flow with respect to reflection in the central plane of the initial distribution of matter. New exact relationships are obtained for evolution of the density of energy in the center of the distribution and for laws of motion of boundaries between the general solution and the rarefaction waves. The rapidity distributions are derived in the Landau approximation with account of the pre-exponential factor.
We consider evolution of wave pulses with formation of dispersive shock waves in framework of fully nonlinear shallow-water equations. Situations of initial elevations or initial dips on the water surface are treated and motion of the dispersive shoc
k edges is studied within the Whitham theory of modulations. Simple analytical formulas are obtained for asymptotic stage of evolution of initially localized pulses. Analytical results are confirmed by exact numerical solutions of the fully nonlinear shallow-water equations.
We theoretically describe the quasi one-dimensional transverse spreading of a light pulse propagating in a nonlinear optical material in the presence of a uniform background light intensity. For short propagation distances the pulse can be described
within a nondispersive approximation by means of Riemanns approach. For larger distances, wave breaking occurs, leading to the formation of dispersive shocks at both ends of the pulse. We describe this phenomenon within Whitham modulation theory, which yields an excellent agreement with numerical simulations. Our analytic approach makes it possible to extract the leading asymptotic behavior of the parameters of the shock.
The problem of wave breaking during its propagation in the Bose-Einstein condensate to a stationary medium is considered for the case when the initial profile at the breaking instant can be approximated by a power function of the form $(-x)^{1/n}$. T
he evolution of the wave is described by the Gross-Pitaevskii equation so that a dispersive shock wave is formed as a result of breaking; this wave can be represented using the Gurevich-Pitaevskii approach as a modulated periodic solution to the Gross-Pitaevskii equation, and the evolution of the modulation parameters is described by the Whitham equations obtained by averaging the conservation laws over fast oscillations in the wave. The solution to the Whitham modulation equations is obtained in closed form for $n = 2,3$, and the velocities of the dispersion shock wave edges for asymptotically long evolution times are determined for arbitrary integer values $n > 1$. The problem considered here can be applied for describing the generation of dispersion shock waves observed in experiments with the Bose-Einstein condensate.
