Pinning-depinning transition of fronts between standing waves

Phys Rev E Stat Nonlin Soft Matter Phys. 2013 Jan;87(1):012901. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevE.87.012901. Epub 2013 Jan 3.

Abstract

Dynamic behaviors of fronts connecting standing waves, such as the locking phenomenon, pinning-depinning transitions, propagation, and front interactions, are studied. Two systems are considered, a vertically driven pendulum chain and a generalized φ(4) model. Both models exhibit in an appropriate region of parameters bistability between standing waves. In the driven pendulum chain, using a Galerkin expansion we characterize the region of bistability between subharmonic waves for the upright and the upside-down pendulum states. We derive analytically the front dynamics in the generalized φ(4) model, showing regions where fronts are oscillatory or propagative. We also characterize the mechanism of the pinning-depinning transition of fronts between standing waves. Using front interactions we predict the emergence of dissipative localized waves supported on a standing wave and characterize their corresponding homoclinic snaking bifurcation diagrams. All these analytical predictions are confirmed by numerical simulations with quite good agreement.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Algorithms*
  • Computer Simulation
  • Models, Theoretical*
  • Rheology / methods*