arXiv subjects
Publications and source records attributed to G. Gaeta.
We consider the theory of \emph{twisted symmetries} of differential equations, in particular $λ$ and $μ$-symmetries, and discuss their geometrical content. We focus on their interpretation in terms of gauge transformations on the one hand, and of coverings on the other one.
We discuss a procedure to simplify the Landau potential, based on Michel's reduction to orbit space and Poincaré normalization procedure; and illustrate it by concrete examples. The method makes use, as in Poincaré theory, of a chain of near-identity coordinate transformations with homogeneous generating functions; using Michel's insight, one can work in orbit space. It is shown that it is possible to control the choice of generating functions so to obtain a (in many cases, substantial) simplification of the Landau polynomial, including a reduction of the parameters it depends on. Several examples are considered in detail.
In a previous paper we have discussed how the Landau potential (entering in Landau theory of phase transitions) can be simplified using the Poincaré normalization procedure. Here we apply this approach to the Landau-deGennes functional for the isotropic-nematic transitions, and transitions between different nematic phases, in liquid crystals. {We give special attention to applying our method in the region near the main transition point, showing in full detail how this can be done via a suitable simple modification of our Poincaré-like method. We also consider the question if biaxial phases can branch directly off the fully symmetric state; some partial results in this direction are presented.
We specialize Olver's and Rosenau's side condition heuristics for the determination of particular invariant sets of ordinary differential equations. It turns out that side conditions of so-called LaSalle type are of special interest. Moreover we put side condition properties of symmetric and partially symmetric equations in a wider context. In the final section we present an application to parameter-dependent systems, in particular to quasi-steady state for chemical reactions.
We discuss how the presence of a suitable symmetry can guarantee the perturbative linearizability of a dynamical system - or a parameter dependent family - via the Poincaré Normal Form approach. We discuss this at first formally, and later pay attention to the convergence of the linearizing procedure. We also discuss some generalizations of our main result
When we consider a differential equation $Δ=0$ whose set of solutions is ${\cal S}_Δ$, a Lie-point exact symmetry of this is a Lie-point invertible transformation $T$ such that $T({\cal S}_Δ)={\cal S}_Δ$, i.e. such that any solution to $Δ=0$ is tranformed into a (generally, different) solution to the same equation; here we define {\it partial} symmetries of $Δ=0$ as Lie-point invertible transformations $T$ such that there is a nonempty subset ${\cal P} \subset {\cal S}_Δ$ such that $T({\cal P}) = {\cal P}$, i.e. such that there is a subset of solutions to $Δ=0$ which are transformed one into the other. We discuss how to determine both partial symmetries and the invariant set ${\cal P} \subset {\cal S}_Δ$, and show that our procedure is effective by means of concrete examples. We also discuss relations with conditional symmetries, and how our discussion applies to the special case of dynamical systems. Our discussion will focus on continuous Lie-point partial symmetries, but our approach would also be suitable for more general classes of transformations; the discussion is indeed extended to partial generalized (or Lie-Bäcklund) symmetries along the same lines, and in the appendix we will discuss the case of discrete partial symmetries.
Symmetry properties are at the basis of integrability. In recent years, it appeared that so called "twisted symmetries" are as effective as standard symmetries in many respects (integrating ODEs, finding special solutions to PDEs). Here we discuss how twisted symmetries can be used to detect integrability of Lagrangian systems which are not integrable via standard symmetries.
We report on numerical investigations concerning the propagation of solitons in a real DNA chain (the Human Adenovirus 2) using a realistic model of DNA torsional dynamics; this takes fully into account the inhomogeneities in the real chain. We find that twist solitons propagate for considerable distances (2-10 times their diameters) before stopping due to phonon emission. Our results show that twist solitons may exist in real DNA chains; and on a more general level that solitonic propagation can take place in highly inhomogeneous media.
We consider generalized (possibly depending on fields as well as on space-time variables) gauge transformations and gauge symmetries in the context of general -- that is, possibly non variational nor covariant -- differential equations. In this case the relevant principal bundle admits the first jet bundle (of the phase manifold) as an associated bundle, at difference with standard Yang-Mills theories. We also show how in this context the recently introduced operation of $μ$-prolongation of vector fields (which generalizes the $\la$-prolongation of Muriel and Romero), and hence $μ$-symmetries of differential equations, arise naturally. This is turn suggests several directions for further development. S0ome detailed examples are also given.
Nicodemi and Prisco recently proposed a model for X-chromosome inactivation in mammals, explaining this phenomenon in terms of a spontaneous symmetry-breaking mechanism [{\it Phys. Rev. Lett.} 99 (2007), 108104]. Here we provide a mean-field version of their model.
We give a version of Noether theorem adapted to the framework of mu-symmetries; this extends to such case recent work by Muriel, Romero and Olver in the framework of lambda-symmetries, and connects mu-symmetries of a Lagrangian to a suitably modified conservation law. In some cases this "mu-conservation law'' actually reduces to a standard one; we also note a relation between mu-symmetries and conditional invariants. We also consider the case where the variational principle is itself formulated as requiring vanishing variation under mu-prolonged variation fields, leading to modified Euler-Lagrange equations. In this setting mu-symmetries of the Lagrangian correspond to standard conservation laws as in the standard Noether theorem. We finally propose some applications and examples.
We consider the continuum version of an elastic chain supporting topological and non-topological degrees of freedom; this generalizes a model for the dynamics of DNA recently proposed and investigated by ourselves. In a certain limit, the non-topological degrees of freedom are frozen, and the model reduces to the sine-Gordon equations and thus supports well-known topological soliton solutions. We consider a (singular) perturbative expansion around this limit and study in particular how the non-topological field assume the role of an auxiliary field. This provides a more general framework for the slaving of this degree of freedom on the topological one, already observed elsewhere in the context of the mentioned DNA model; in this framework one expects such phenomenon to arise in a quite large class of field-theoretical models.
We propose a mechanism for fixing the velocity of relativistic soliton based on the breaking of the Lorentz symmetry of the sine-Gordon (SG) model. The proposal is first elaborated for a molecular chain model, as the simple pendulum limit of a double pendulums chain. It is then generalized to a full class of two-dimensional field theories of the sine-Gordon type. From a phenomenological point of view, the mechanism allows one to select the speed of a SG soliton just by tuning elastic couplings constants and kinematical parameters. From a fundamental, field-theoretical point of view we show that the characterizing features of relativistic SG solitons (existence of conserved topological charges and stability) may be still preserved even if the Lorentz symmetry is broken and a soliton of a given speed is selected.
The Yakushevich model of DNA torsion dynamics supports soliton solutions, which are supposed to be of special interest for DNA transcription. In the discussion of the model, one usually adopts the approximation $\ell_0 \to 0$, where $\ell_0$ is a parameter related to the equilibrium distance between bases in a Watson-Crick pair. Here we analyze the Yakushevich model without $\ell_0 \to 0$. The model still supports soliton solutions indexed by two winding numbers $(n,m)$; we discuss in detail the fundamental solitons, corresponding to winding numbers (1,0) and (0,1) respectively.
It was first suggested by Englander et al to model the nonlinear dynamics of DNA relevant to the transcription process in terms of a chain of coupled pendulums. In a related paper [q-bio.BM/0604014] we argued for the advantages of an extension of this approach based on considering a chain of double pendulums with certain characteristics. Here we study a simplified model of this kind, focusing on its general features and nonlinear travelling wave excitations; in particular, we show that some of the degrees of freedom are actually slaved to others, allowing for an effective reduction of the relevant equations.
DNA torsion dynamics is essential in the transcription process; a simple model for it, in reasonable agreement with experimental observations, has been proposed by Yakushevich (Y) and developed by several authors; in this, the DNA subunits made of a nucleoside and the attached nitrogen bases are described by a single degree of freedom. In this paper we propose and investigate, both analytically and numerically, a ``composite'' version of the Y model, in which the nucleoside and the base are described by separate degrees of freedom. The model proposed here contains as a particular case the Y model and shares with it many features and results, but represents an improvement from both the conceptual and the phenomenological point of view. It provides a more realistic description of DNA and possibly a justification for the use of models which consider the DNA chain as uniform. It shows that the existence of solitons is a generic feature of the underlying nonlinear dynamics and is to a large extent independent of the detailed modelling of DNA. The model we consider supports solitonic solutions, qualitatively and quantitatively very similar to the Y solitons, in a fully realistic range of all the physical parameters characterizing the DNA.
The Yakushevich (Y) model provides a very simple pictures of DNA torsion dynamics, yet yields remarkably correct predictions on certain physical characteristics of the dynamics. In the standard Y model, the interaction between bases of a pair is modelled by a harmonic potential, which becomes anharmonic when described in terms of the rotation angles; here we substitute to this different types of improved potentials, providing a more physical description of the H-bond mediated interactions between the bases. We focus in particular on soliton solutions; the Y model predicts the correct size of the nonlinear excitations supposed to model the ``transcription bubbles'', and this is essentially unchanged with the improved potential. Other features of soliton dynamics, in particular curvature of soliton field configurations and the Peierls-Nabarro barrier, are instead significantly changed.
We extend the Poincare'-Lyapounov-Nekhoroshev theorem from torus actions and invariant tori to general (non-abelian) involutory systems of vector fields and general invariant manifolds.