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Questions tagged [solitons]

Solitons are self-stabilizing solitary wave packets maintaining their shape propagating at a constant velocity. They are caused by a balance of nonlinear and dispersive (where the speed of the waves varies with frequency) effects in the medium.

8 votes
1 answer
1k views

How do instantons look in real time/spacetime?

Instantons, as I understand it, are mathematical constructions in Euclidean spacetime. Does it imply that instantons do not exist in real spacetime or the instanton tunneling effects does not have ...
SRS's user avatar
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1 vote
0 answers
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Sine integral as a soliton profile?

Among the most commonly known 1+1 soliton/solitary-wave profiles are: $\tan^{-1}(\exp(x-vt))$ for Sine-Gordon, $\tanh(x-vt)$ for $\phi^4$, $\operatorname{sech}^2(x-vt)$ for KdV. My question is: ...
Chromatic's user avatar
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6 votes
1 answer
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Distinction of Dirac monopole and Polyakov-'t Hooft monopole

Can anybody explain the physical difference between Dirac monopole and Polyakov monopole? First, let me write down what I know briefly. Dirac monopole It comes from the symmetry of Maxwell ...
phy_math's user avatar
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3 votes
2 answers
328 views

Why can kink not tunnel to the vacuum, making it topologically stable?

Why can the kink $$\phi(x)=v\tanh\left(\frac{x}{\xi}\right)$$ not tunnel into vacuum $+v$ or $-v$ (with spontaneous symmetry breaking in the vacuum)? From the boundary condition, $\phi(x)\rightarrow \...
Qft_Phys's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
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Soliton solution for a diffusive system [closed]

With a simple model for bacterial diffusion, I get this partial derivative equation : $$\frac{\partial n}{\partial t} = D\frac{\partial^2 n}{\partial x^2} + d_1 n -d_2 n^2$$ where $n(x,t)$ is the ...
sailx's user avatar
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3 votes
2 answers
342 views

Why is the solution of the $\phi^6$ potential not a soliton?

Consider a theory with a $\phi^6$-scalar potential: $$ \mathcal{L} = \frac{1}{2}(\partial_\mu\phi)^2-\phi^2(\phi^2-1)^2. $$ I solved its equation of motion but found that the general form of its ...
NSERC Protester's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
383 views

Soliton wave transmission and experiments

What are Solitons? Does energy transfer without interference in Solitons? I read first about in connection with Breather surface of constant negative Gauss curvature $K$. Are there physical laws ...
Narasimham's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
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Solitons and its infinite extension

A soliton, for example the KdV equation solution, has the profile proportional to a hyperbolic secant squared ${\text{sech}}^{2}(x-ct)$. And since it is hyperbolic it has an exponential dependence, so ...
Poli Tolstov's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
124 views

Are there resources for simulating and/or theoretically describing solitons?

Recently there are striking new ideas emerging on "lower level" dynamics with respect to quantum mechanics involving fluid mechanics principles, including hints of soliton-like aspects to particle ...
5 votes
2 answers
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Besides vortex rings, are there other types of traveling waves that can carry matter as well as energy?

Vortex rings are a special soliton wave that are known to carry matter over a distance as well as energy. This can easily be demonstrated using a cardboard 'vortex canon' filled with smoke. The smoke ...
docscience's user avatar
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3 votes
1 answer
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difference between classical vacuum solutions and instantons

What does the classical vacuum of the $SU(2)$ Yang-Mills action correspond to? Does it correspond to $F_{\mu\nu}=0$ everywhere or just at the spatial infinity? In Srednicki’s book, he has shown that, ...
SRS's user avatar
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12 votes
2 answers
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Explanation of the waves on the water planet in the movie Interstellar?

We will ignore some of the more obvious issues with the movie and assume all other things are consistent to have fun with some of these questions. Simple [hopefully] Pre-questions: 1) If the water ...
honeste_vivere's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
212 views

Speed of an electromagnetic soliton in free space

What is the speed of an electromagnetic soliton in free space? Is it equal to 'c' ? P.S. My understanding of the Fourier transform says it's not.
Sidd's user avatar
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2 votes
0 answers
244 views

Phase and group velocity of a soliton? [closed]

How do I find the phase velocity and group velocity of a soliton with a $\operatorname{sech}$ (hyperbolic secant) envelope?
Mr. Nobody's user avatar
2 votes
0 answers
96 views

Categorization of electromagnetic solitons?

I've seen over the years several mentions of electromagnetic solitons that appear in the high-intensity regime (where vacuum polarization becomes important). Some of these are coupled with plasmas, ...
lurscher's user avatar
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4 votes
1 answer
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Moduli spaces in string theory vs. soliton theory

In both string theory and soliton theory, moduli spaces are frequently used. As far as I known, for soliton theory, moduli spaces are something like collective coordinates for solitons, and for ...
phy_math's user avatar
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7 votes
1 answer
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About solitons, what is the difference between kinks and vortices?

I am reading papers about solitons for my small reports, and i could not understand its physical meaning in detail. I know soliton is solitary wave which behaves like particle. And many text they ...
phy_math's user avatar
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4 votes
2 answers
407 views

Domain walls intersection

I was reading this article(On domain shapes and processes in supersymmetric theories). In the paragraph about domain walls intersection (paragraph $4$, page $7$) the authors say: In a one-field ...
xxxxx's user avatar
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12 votes
2 answers
890 views

No monopoles in the Weinberg-Salam model

I'm reading Chapter 10.4 on the 't Hooft-Polyakov monopoles in Ryder's Quantum Field Theory. On page 412 he explains why magnetic monopoles cannot appear in the Weinberg-Salam model. I'm I right by ...
Anne O'Nyme's user avatar
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2 votes
0 answers
197 views

KdV equation and classical linear wave equation

Like we know, the standard form of KdV equation is $$u_{t}-6uu_{x}+u_{xxx}=0,\tag{1}$$ where this equation describes a solitary wave propagation and $u=u(x,t)$. On the other hand, we know the ...
Poli Tolstov's user avatar
24 votes
1 answer
872 views

Soliton Moduli Spaces and Homotopy Theory

The four-dimensional $SU(N)$ Yang-Mills Lagrangian is given by $$\mathcal{L}=\frac{1}{2e^2}\mathrm{Tr}F_{\mu\nu}F^{\mu\nu}$$ and gives rise to the Euclidean equations of motion $\mathcal{D}_\mu F^{\...
JamalS's user avatar
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5 votes
1 answer
590 views

$AdS_3$ soliton of Witten - for Hawking-Page transition

Are there explicit AdS$_3$ soliton solution? in the sense of Witten's Anti De Sitter Space And Holography and Hawking-Page transition paper, by doing a $$\tau_E, y ,r \to y, \tau_E ,r$$ from a ...
Angie38750's user avatar
2 votes
0 answers
122 views

Fractional quantum number induced in a soliton profile

It has been known there is fractional quantum number induced in a soliton profile, such as this Jeffrey Goldstone and Frank Wilczek paper and many works of Jackiw. For example the electric charge ...
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2 votes
2 answers
396 views

Nomenclature clarification concerning solitons

My experience with solitons is restricted to the classical setting, namely solutions to the quartic interaction $\phi^4$, the Sine-Gordon equation, and Korteweg–de Vries equations. I was explicit to ...
sunspots's user avatar
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6 votes
0 answers
687 views

Is optical-illusion responsible for Loch Ness monster? [closed]

When you look out at the white-caps on a wind-swept lake, you can see a dark, undulating pattern under the crests of the white-caps. Could this shadow-like area explain the sightings? Revised, see ...
Fred Daniel Kline's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
185 views

Is there a consensus on the definition of wavelength for a solitary wave?

Solitary waves are by definition a wave of single nature so the usual definition for periodic waves does not apply. R. Dalrymple provides a definition but I saw a lot of other websites and papers ...
Isopycnal Oscillation's user avatar
25 votes
1 answer
1k views

Causes of hexagonal shape of Saturn's jet stream

NASA has just shown a more detailed picture of the hexagonal vortex/storm on Saturn: http://www.ibtimes.com/nasa-releases-images-saturns-hexagon-mega-storm-may-have-been-swirling-centuries-1496218 ...
Luboš Motl's user avatar
12 votes
1 answer
1k views

Magnetic field lines and knots

As I was reading the book The Trouble With Physics, I encountered a small paragraph which seemed bit confusing. The paragraph goes as follows: Picture field lines, like the lines of magnetic field ...
Four Seasons's user avatar
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4 votes
1 answer
360 views

Why linear wave equation does not have solitonic solutions?

As many people define solitary waves they are localized pulses that propagate without changing the shape. As far as I know the same pulses exist in ordinary wave equation ! why should we look for ...
richard's user avatar
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0 votes
1 answer
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Are solitons an example of collective motion?

Are solitons an example of collective motion?
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