Analytical and spectral characterization of floral patterns in higher-order polynomial pp-waves
We investigate analytically and numerically the floral deformation of particle rings induced by higher-order polynomial modes of pp-waves. The transverse tidal eigendirections determine $m$ interlaced sectors of radial stretching and compression, while a weak-pulse solution provides the complete first-order response of the ring. Direct geodesic integration for $m=2,3,4$ confirms the predicted orientation and discrete symmetry. A Fourier analysis shows that the response remains overwhelmingly dominated by the angular mode $n=m$; in particular, the loops found for $m=4$ arise from geometrical folding of the fundamental mode rather than strong harmonic mixing. The temporal moments of the pulse further distinguish displacement from velocity memory without changing this angular signature.