Compactons in strongly nonlinear lattices

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Arkady Pikovsky
• Subject Area: Statistical Physics, Nonlinear Dynamics, Complex Systems, Soft and Fluid Matter, Biological Physics
• Term: from 2006 to 2010
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 19760810

The goal of this project is the investigation of localized traveling objects - compactons - in strongly nonlinear lattices. Two particular examples - a chain of phase equations for coupled nonlinear oscillators and a one-dimensional chain of beads under Hertz contact - will be studied in details. We will find a traveling wave in a discrete lattice numerically and compare this solution with that of a quasi-continuum approximation.A perturbative approach for a nonideal lattices will be developed. Collisions of compactons, as well as the long-time properties like transition to chaos, will be investigated numerically.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants