Vol ume 111A, number 8,9 PHYSICS LETTERS 7 Oct ober 1985

RADI ATI VE BREAKI NG OF A KI NK I N A P ERI ODI C LATFI CE OF I MP URI TI ES

Yuri S. KI VS HAR
Physico-Technical Institute of Low Temperatures, Lenin Prospect 47, Kharkoo 164, USSR
and
Boris A. MALOMED
Institute for Biological Physics of the USSR Academy of Sciences, Pushchino, Moscow district 142292, USSR
Received 24 April 1985; accepted in revised form 25 July 1985
Radiation losses of a sine-Gordon kink in a one-dimensional dense or rarefied lattice of localized impurities are calculated
by means of perturbation theory, and the length and time of penetration of the kink into the lattice are found.
The fundament al propert y of solitons in exactly
integrable nonlinear systems is the fact t hat their
collisions are purely elastic, i.e. colliding solitons
emit no radiation [ 1 ] . Hamiltonian systems close to
exactly integrable ones occur in many physical
problems. However, real hamiltonians oft en contain
different small terms which break exact integrability.
In particular, those terms may generate weak emis-
sion which may be a significant effect for large-time
evolution [ 2- - 4] . This emission can be comput ed by
means of pert urbat i on t heory based on the inverse
scattering t ransform [ 5 - 7 ] . Particularly, the pertur-
bation-induced emission from a small-amplitude
breat her (a bound state of two kinks) of the sine-
Gordon equation (SGE) has been calculated in ref.
[ 3] . In the present paper we shall consider breaking
of the ki nk in a one-dimensional lattice, composed of
localized impuritie s, on account of radiation losses.
This probl em has different physical applications (see,
e.g., ref. [2] and references therein).
The unpert urbed SGE kink has the form
u = 40 arctan {exp [(x - Vt ) v] ) ,
v = (1 - V2) - 1 / 2 , (1)
where Vi s the ki nk' s velocity, and o = +1 is its polar-
ity. The mot i on of the ki nk in the lattice is described
by the perturbed SGE
o a
ut t -- Uxx + s i nu = e
8( x - an) sin u , (2)
where e "~ 1, and a is the lattice period.
We shall calculate radiation losses of the ki nk in
two limiting cases, the dense lattice, in which the lat-
tice is replaced by an effective harmonic potential,
and the rarefied lattice, in which the collision wi t h a
separate i mpuri t y is considered. In terms of the in-
verse scattering t ransform, radiation emission implies
transfer of energy from the discrete spectrum to the
continuous one. The general formula for the spectral
density p( ~) of energy emitted per unit of time has
been put forward in ref. [3] :
p( h) = 20r ~2) - l ( 4x2 + 1)Re [ b * ( ~. ) d b ( h ) / d t ] , (3)
where X is a real positive spectral paramet er, and b( ~)
is the Jost coefficient t hat determines the continuous
spectrum scattering data [ 1 ]. The perturbation-in-
duced evolution of b(X) is governed by the well-
known equation [6]
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Volume 111A, number 8,9 PHYSICS LETTERS 7 October 1985
d B ( X ) / d t = l i e a ( X ) e x p [ i ( X+ 1 / 4 ~) t ]
x [ ~ ( 2 ) , 1 2 ) , (4)
wh e r e xp(1,2) _ - - ~ ( l ~ ) ( x ' X) are t he t wo c o mp o n e n t s
o f t he J o s t f u n c t i o n [1], B ( ~ ) = b ( ~ ) e x p [ - i ( X + l / 4 X ) t ] ,
a( X) i s a n o t h e r J o s t c oe f f i c i e nt , wh i c h is i mma t e r i a l
f or c ons i de r a t i on si nce i n a f i r st a p p r o x i ma t i o n we ma y
set [ a( ;~)1 = 1, and P / u / is r . h. s, o f ( 2) .
Fi r st we shall dwel l o n t he c a l c ul a t i on o f r a di a t i on
l osses f or t he nonr el at i vi s t i c k i n k ( V 2 "~ 1) i n a dense
l a t t i c e ( a "~ 1). I n t hi s case t he di s cr et e l a t t i c e c a n be
r epl aced b y an e f f e c t i ve h a r mo n i c p o t e n t i a l . St r a i ght -
f o r wa r d cal cul at i ons yi el d (K = 21r/a ):
e2(1 +4X2) B2( X, K)
p(~k) = 8X2V2( x2 +/ . / 2)2
X 8 [ ( X - 1 / 4 X ) V - ( ~ + 1/4X) - r V ] , ( 5 )
whe r e
B( X, K) = 7r [Xtt(r/2 - 1) - (X 2 - / ~ 2 ) n ] s ech ( r r r / / 2) ,
r / = K + ( h - 1/ 4X) , 2/a = ( I + v ) l / 2 ( 1 - V) - 1 / 2 . ( 6)
As i s s een f r o m ( 5) , ( 6) , i n t he case V > V (1) ~ a/ 2~
t he e mi s s i on is c o n c e n t r a t e d i n t he t wo s y mme t r i c
s pe c t r a l l i nes
2k(ll,) 2 ~ [2zt V/ a + ( 4 r t 2 V2 / a 2 - 1 ) 1 / 2 ] / 2 , ( 7 )
and i t s i n t e n s i t y i s e x p o n e n t i a l l y smal l ~ e x p ( - 2 r r 2 / a ) .
I t is e a s y t o f i nd t he l aw o f mo t i o n f o r t he k i n k . I n-
de e d, f r o m t he e n e r g y c ons e r va t i on i t f ol l ows :
d E k i n / d t ~ 8 V d V / d t = - f p ( X ) d X , ( 8)
0
wh e r e Eki n is t he k i n e t i c e n e r g y o f t h e nonr e l a t i vi s t i c
k i n k ( i t s ma s s m = 8 [1] ) . Subs t i t ut i ng ( 5 ) - - ( 7 ) i n t o
( 8) , we o b t a i n , as s umi ng, f or i ns t a nc e , V(1) ,~ V ' ~ 1:
V = VO(1 - ct t ) 1/4 , ( 9 )
V 0 be i ng t he i ni t i al v e l o c i t y , a nd
rt 4 e 2
2a2 V~o cosh 2(rr2 / a )
( 1 0 )
F o r mu l a ( 9) i s val i d at t i me s t <~ a - 1 . When V r eaches
t he val ue V (1), t he h a r mo n i c s ( 7) di s a ppe a r , a nd one
s houl d t a ke i n t o a c c o u n t e mi s s i on at t he n e x t pai r o f
h a r mo n i c s , t he c o r r e s p o n d i n g i nt e ns i t y possessi ng t he
a ddi t i ona l e x p o n e n t i a l smal l ness ~ e x p ( - 4 r r 2 / a ) .
Ana l ogous l y, wi t h f u r t h e r decr eas e o f V, t he hi gher
h a r mo n i c s
~7)2 ~ ( 2 1 r mV / a + [(41r2m2V2)/ a2 - 111/ 2} / 2, ( 11)
b e c o me d o mi n a n t i n t he i nt er val a/27rm < V <
a/21r(m - 1), t he c o r r e s p o n d i n g i nt e ns i t y bei ng
~ e x p ( - 2ml r2/ a) .
No w we p r o c e e d t o t he case o f a r a r e f i e d l a t t i c e .
Fo r a r el at i vi st i c ki nk (1 - V 2 ~ 1) t he l a t t i c e t o be
r ar ef i ed me a n s a 2 >> 1 - V 2 . I n t hi s case t he cal cul a-
t i o n o f r a di a t i on l osses c a n be obvi ous l y r e duc e d t o
c a l c ul a t i on o f t he e n e r g y 6 ( I T ) e mi t t e d b y t he k i n k
due t o col l i si on wi t h a s e pa r a t e i mp u r i t y :
d Ek i n _ ~ ( V) ( 12)
d t a / V "
The q u a n t i t y ~ ( V) c a n be c a l c ul a t e d b y me a n s o f t he
f o r mu l a e o f r ef . [ 4] :
~, ( 2 e 2 / r r 2 ) ( 1 - - V2) 1/2 . ( 1 3 )
The e n e r g y ( 1 3 ) i s e mi t t e d f o r wa r d , i . e. i n t he di r ec-
t i o n o f mo t i o n o f t he k i n k . Besi des, i t is pos s i bl e t o
cal cul at e t he e n e r g y 6 back e mi t t e d i n t he o p p o s i t e
di r ect i on:
back ~ e 2 ( 1 + 4/ l r2 + 3 0 / " 4 ) ( 1 - - V2) 5/2 , ( 14)
i . e. i t is mu c h s mal l er t h a n ( 13) , wh i c h is qui t e na t -
ur al . The l aw o f mo t i o n o f t he k i n k c a n be r e a di l y r
o b t a i n e d f r o m ( 12) and ( 1 3 ) i f one t a k e s i nt o a c c o u n t
t h a t Eki n = 8v:
v 2 = V 2 - ( e 2/ 21r 2a) t . ( 15)
v be i ng de f i ne d i n ( 1) , a nd v 0 be i ng i t s i ni t i al val ue.
The l a w ( 1 5 ) i s val i d p r o v i d e d v , ~ m a x ( l , a - 1 ) .
No w we shall c ons i de r t he d y n a mi c s o f t he n o n -
r el at i vi st i c k i n k i n a r a r e f i e d l a t t i c e ( a ~" 1). I n t hi s
case we agai n p r o c e e d f r o m ( 12) . The e ne r gy 6 t hi s
t i me is [4]
( V) = r r x/ 2 e 2 V - 1 1 / 2 e x p ( - z r / 2 V ) . ( 1 6 )
The f ol l owi ng p r o b l e m is nat ur al : wh a t is t he l e ngt h
o f p e n e t r a t i o n o f t he k i n k i n t o t he l a t t i c e i f i t has
e n t e r e d t he l a t t i c e wi t h a smal l ve l oc i t y V0? Two
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Volume 111A, number 8,9 PHYSICS LETrERS 7 October 1985
situations should be discerned here. If e < 0 a sepa-
rate impurity repels the kink. Then we may assume
the kink to be captured by a gap between two neigh-
bouring impurities and to stop further penetrating
into the lattice i f the kink' s velocity Vhas become
smaller t han the threshold velocity [2]
Vth r = %/ q-~ , (17)
(then the kink oscillates between the two impurities).
Using (12) and (16), it is easy to demonstrate that in
the case V 0 >> Vth r the length L and time T almost
do not depend on V0:
Vthr
L =-8a_f VdV~-I(v)
Vo
~, 2-3/4art -2 [el9/4 exi9 (rr/ X/ 2~), (18)
Vthr
T = - 8 a f d VC- I ( v )
Vo
2-1/4a*r -2 [el 7/4 exp(rc/x/2 ie[). (19)
Expressions (18) and (19) are exponentially large in
Vr ~. Such a dependence on the perturbation param-
eter is typical for problems concerning emission [4,8].
In the second situation, e > 0, a separate impurity
attracts the kink. The threshold velocity for the cap-
ture of the kink by this inhomogeneity has been cal-
culated in ref. [8]:
Vth r = 221/8~'1/4d 3/8 e xp( - - %/ ~) . (20)
[cf. (17)]. The velocity (20) is itself determined by
the emission, therefore it is exponentially small in x/e.
Therefore in this situation length L and time T are
much larger than (18) and (19). However, formula
(16) is irrelevant when V,~ x~, so that the problem
with e > 0 is more difficult.
References
[ 1 ] V ~ . Z a k h a r o v , S . V . M a n a k o v , S . P . N o v i k o v a n d L . P .
Pitaevskii, T h e t h e o r y o f solitons ( N a u k a , M o s c o w ,
1 9 8 0 ) .
[2] D . W . M c L a u g h i i n a n d A . C . S c o t t , P h y s . R e v . A 1 8 ( 1 9 7 8 )
1 6 5 2 .
[3] B . A . M a l o m e d , P h y s . L e t t . I 0 2 A ( 1 9 8 4 ) 8 3 .
[4] Y u . S . K i v s h a r , O n t h e p e r t u r b a t i o n t h e o r y f o r solitons,
P r e p r i n t P T I L T , N o . 2 1 - 8 4 ( K h a r k o v , 1 9 8 4 ) , i n R u s s i a n .
[5] D . J . K a u p , S I A M J. A p p l . M a t h . 3 1 ( 1 9 7 6 ) 1 2 1 .
[6] D 3 . K a n p a n d A . C . N e w e U , P r o c . R . S o c . A 3 6 1 ( 1 9 7 8 )
4 1 3 .
[7] V . I . K a r p m a n , P h y s . S c r . 2 0 ( 1 9 7 9 ) 4 6 2 .
[8] B . A . M a l o m e d , P h y s i c a 1 5 D ( 1 9 8 5 ) 3 8 5 .
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