arXiv subjects

Mark A. Hoefer

Publications and source records attributed to Mark A. Hoefer.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2021

Whitham modulation theory for generalized Whitham equations and a general criterion for modulational instability

The Whitham equation was proposed as a model for surface water waves that combines the quadratic flux nonlinearity $f(u) = \tfrac{1}{2}u^2$ of the Korteweg-de Vries equation and the full linear dispersion relation $Ω(k) = \sqrt{k\tanh k}$ of uni-directional gravity water waves in suitably scaled variables. This paper proposes and analyzes a generalization of Whitham's model to unidirectional nonlinear wave equations consisting of a general nonlinear flux function $f(u)$ and a general linear dispersion relation $Ω(k)$. Assuming the existence of periodic traveling wave solutions to this generalized Whitham equation, their slow modulations are studied in the context of Whitham modulation theory. A multiple scales calculation yields the modulation equations, a system of three conservation laws that describe the slow evolution of the periodic traveling wave's wavenumber, amplitude, and mean. In the weakly nonlinear limit, explicit, simple criteria in terms of general $f(u)$ and $Ω(k)$ establishing the strict hyperbolicity and genuine nonlinearity of the modulation equations are determined. This result is interpreted as a generalized Lighthill-Whitham criterion for modulational instability.

nlin.PS↗

arXiv2021

Dynamic soliton-mean flow interaction with nonconvex flux

The interaction of localised solitary waves with large-scale, time-varying dispersive mean flows subject to nonconvex flux is studied in the framework of the modified Korteweg-de Vries (mKdV) equation, a canonical model for nonlinear internal gravity wave propagation in stratified fluids. The principal feature of the studied interaction is that both the solitary wave and the large-scale mean flow -- a rarefaction wave or a dispersive shock wave (undular bore) -- are described by the same dispersive hydrodynamic equation. A recent theoretical and experimental study of this new type of dynamic soliton-mean flow interaction has revealed two main scenarios when the solitary wave either tunnels through the varying mean flow that connects two constant asymptotic states, or remains trapped inside it. While the previous work considered convex systems, in this paper it is demonstrated that the presence of a nonconvex hydrodynamic flux introduces significant modifications to the scenarios for transmission and trapping. A reduced set of Whitham modulation equations, termed the solitonic modulation system, is used to formulate a general, approximate mathematical framework for solitary wave-mean flow interaction with nonconvex flux. Solitary wave trapping is conveniently stated in terms of crossing characteristics for the solitonic system. Numerical simulations of the mKdV equation agree with the predictions of modulation theory. The developed theory draws upon general properties of dispersive hydrodynamic partial differential equations, not on the complete integrability of the mKdV equation. As such, the mathematical framework developed here enables application to other fluid dynamic contexts subject to nonconvex flux.

nlin.PS↗

arXiv2020

Oblique interactions between solitons and mean flows in the Kadomtsev-Petviashvili equation

The interaction of an oblique line soliton with a one-dimensional dynamic mean flow is analyzed using the Kadomtsev-Petviashvili II (KPII) equation. Building upon previous studies that examined the transmission or trapping of a soliton by a slowly varying rarefaction or oscillatory dispersive shock wave in one space and one time dimension, this paper allows for the incident soliton to approach the changing mean flow at a nonzero oblique angle. By deriving invariant quantities of the soliton-mean flow modulation equations$-$a system of three (1+1)-dimensional quasilinear, hyperbolic equations for the soliton and mean flow parameters$-$and positing the initial configuration as a Riemann problem in the modulation variables, it is possible to derive quantitative predictions regarding the evolution of the line soliton within the mean flow. It is found that the interaction between an oblique soliton and a changing mean flow leads to several novel features not observed in the (1+1)-dimensional reduced problem. Many of these interesting dynamics arise from the unique structure of the modulation equations that are nonstrictly hyperbolic, including a well-defined multivalued solution interpreted as a solution of the (2+1)-dimensional soliton-mean modulation equations, in which the soliton interacts with the mean flow and then wraps around to interact with it again. Finally, it is shown that the oblique interactions between solitons and dispersive shock wave solutions for the mean flow give rise to all three possible types of 2-soliton solutions of the KPII equation. The analytical findings are quantitatively supported by direct numerical simulations.

nlin.PS↗

arXiv2020

Evolution of truncated and bent gravity wave solitons: the Mach expansion problem

The dynamics of initially truncated and bent line solitons for the Kadomtsev-Petviashvili (KPII) equation modelling internal and surface gravity waves are analysed using modulation theory. In contrast to previous studies on obliquely interacting solitons that develop from acute incidence angles, this work focuses on initial value problems for the obtuse incidence of two or three partial line solitons, which propagate away from one another. Despite counterpropagation, significant residual soliton interactions are observed with novel physical consequences. The initial value problem for a truncated line soliton-describing the emergence of a quasi-one-dimensional soliton from a wide channel-is shown to be related to the interaction of oblique solitons. Analytical descriptions for the development of weak and strong interactions are obtained in terms of interacting simple wave solutions of modulation equations for the local soliton amplitude and slope. In the weak interaction case, the long-time evolution of truncated and large obtuse angle solitons exhibits a decaying, parabolic wave profile with temporally increasing focal length that asymptotes to a cylindrical Korteweg-de Vries soliton. In contrast, the strong interaction case of slightly obtuse interacting solitons evolves into a steady, one-dimensional line soliton with amplitude reduced by an amount proportional to the incidence slope. This strong interaction is identified with the "Mach expansion" of a soliton with an expansive corner, contrasting with the well-known Mach reflection of a soliton with a compressive corner. Interestingly, the critical angles for Mach expansion and reflection are the same. Numerical simulations of the KPII equation quantitatively support the analytical findings.

nlin.PS↗

arXiv2020

Integrability, exact reductions and special solutions of the KP-Whitham equations

Reductions of the KP-Whitham system, namely the (2+1)-dimensional hydrodynamic system of five equations that describes the slow modulations of periodic solutions of the Kadomtsev-Petviashvili (KP) equation, are studied. Specifically, the soliton and harmonic wave limits of the KP-Whitham system are considered, which give rise in each case to a four-component (2+1)-dimensional hydrodynamic system. It is shown that a suitable change of dependent variables splits the resulting four-component systems into two parts: (i) a decoupled, independent two-component system comprised of the dispersionless KP equation, (ii) an auxiliary, two-component system coupled to the mean flow equations, which describes either the evolution of a linear wave or a soliton propagating on top of the mean flow. The integrability of both four-component systems is then demonstrated by applying the Haantjes tensor test as well as the method of hydrodynamic reductions. Various exact reductions of these systems are then presented that correspond to concrete physical scenarios.

nlin.SI↗

arXiv2019

Perspectives on spin hydrodynamics in ferromagnetic materials

The field of spin hydrodynamics aims to describe magnetization dynamics from a fluid perspective. For ferromagnetic materials, there is an exact mapping between the Landau-Lifshitz equation and a set of dispersive hydrodynamic equations. This analogy provides ample opportunities to explore novel magnetization dynamics and magnetization states that can lead to applications relying entirely upon magnetic materials, for example, long-distance transport of information. This article provides an overview of the theoretical foundations of spin hydrodynamics and their physical interpretation in the context of spin transport. We discuss other proposed applications for spin hydrodynamics as well as our view on challenges and future research directions.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2019

Discontinuous shock solutions of the Whitham modulation equations as dispersionless limits of traveling waves

Whitham modulation theory describes the zero dispersion limit of nonlinear waves by a system of conservation laws for the parameters of modulated periodic traveling waves. Here, admissible, discontinuous, weak solutions of the Whitham modulation equations--termed Whitham shocks--are identified with zero dispersion limits of traveling wave solutions to higher order dispersive partial differential equations (PDEs). The far-field behavior of the traveling wave solutions satisfies the Rankine-Hugoniot jump conditions. Generally, the numerically computed traveling waves represent heteroclinic connections between two periodic orbits of an ordinary differential equation. The focus here is on the fifth order Korteweg-de Vries equation. The three admissible one-parameter families of Whitham shocks are used as solution components for the generalized Riemann problem of the Whitham modulation equations. Admissible KdV5-Whitham shocks are generally undercompressive, i.e., all characteristic families pass through the shock. The heteroclinic traveling waves that limit to admissible Whitham shocks are found to be ubiquitous in numerical simulations of smoothed step initial conditions for other higher order dispersive equations including the Kawahara equation (with third and fifth order dispersion) and a nonlocal model of weakly nonlinear gravity-capillary waves with full dispersion. Whitham shocks are linked to recent studies of nonlinear higher order dispersive waves in optics and ultracold atomic gases. The approach presented here provides a novel method for constructing new traveling wave solutions to dispersive nonlinear wave equations and a framework to identify physically relevant, admissible shock solutions of the Whitham modulation equations.

nlin.PS↗

arXiv2019

Hydrodynamic description of long-distance spin transport through noncollinear magnetization states: the role of dispersion, nonlinearity, and damping

Nonlocal compensation of magnetic damping by spin injection has been theoretically shown to establish dynamic, noncollinear magnetization states that carry spin currents over micrometer distances. Such states can be generically referred to as dissipative exchange flows (DEFs) because spatially diffusing spin currents are established by the mutual exchange torque exerted by neighboring spins. Analytical studies to date have been limited to the weak spin injection assumption whereby the equation of motion for the magnetization is mapped to hydrodynamic equations describing spin flow and then linearized. Here, we analytically and numerically study easy-plane ferromagnetic channels subject to spin injection of arbitrary strength at one extremum under a unified hydrodynamic framework. We find that DEFs generally exhibit a nonlinear profile along the channel accompanied by a nonlinear frequency tuneability. At large injection strengths, we fully characterize a novel magnetization state we call a contact-soliton DEF (CS-DEF) composed of a stationary soliton at the injection site, which smoothly transitions into a DEF and exhibits a negative frequency tuneability. The transition between a DEF and a CS-DEF occurs at the maximum precessional frequency and coincides with the Landau criterion: a subsonic to supersonic flow transition. Leveraging the hydraulic-electrical analogy, the current-voltage characteristics of a nonlinear DEF circuit are presented. Micromagnetic simulations of nanowires that include magnetocrystalline anisotropy and non-local dipole fields are in qualitative agreement with the analytical results. The magnetization states found here along with their characteristic profile and spectral features provide quantitative guidelines to pursue an experimental demonstration of DEFs in ferromagnetic materials and establishes a unified description for long-distance spin transport.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2019

Controlling Dispersive Hydrodynamic Wavebreaking in a Viscous Fluid Conduit

The driven, cylindrical, free interface between two miscible, Stokes fluids with high viscosity contrast have been shown to exhibit dispersive hydrodynamics. A hallmark feature of dispersive hydrodynamic media is the dispersive resolution of wavebreaking that results in a dispersive shock wave. In the context of the viscous fluid conduit system, the present work introduces a simple, practical method to precisely control the location, time, and spatial profile of wavebreaking in dispersive hydrodynamic systems with only boundary control. The method is based on tracking the dispersionless characteristics backward from the desired wavebreaking profile to the boundary. In addition to the generation of approximately step-like Riemann and box problems, the method is generalized to other, approximately piecewise-linear dispersive hydrodynamic profiles including the triangle wave and N-wave. A definition of dispersive hydrodynamic wavebreaking is used to obtain quantitative agreement between the predicted location and time of wavebreaking, viscous fluid conduit experiment, and direct numerical simulations for a range of flow conditions. Observed space-time characteristics also agree with triangle and N-wave predictions. The characteristic boundary control method introduced here enables the experimental investigation of a variety of wavebreaking profiles and is expected to be useful in other dispersive hydrodynamic media. As an application of this approach, soliton fission from a large, box-like disturbance is observed both experimentally and numerically, motivating future analytical treatment.

nlin.PS↗

arXiv2019

Stochastic ejection of nanocontact droplet solitons via drift instability

The magnetic droplet soliton is a large amplitude, coherently precessing wave state that exists in ferromagnetic thin films with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. To effectively sustain a droplet, magnetic damping can be locally compensated in a nanocontact region that imparts spin-transfer torque; this has been successfully deployed in experiment to directly image the droplet and probe its dynamics electrically. However, theory predicts and experiments indicate the existence of a drift instability whereby the droplet is ejected from the spin-transfer-torque-active region and subsequently decays, an effect that may be enhanced or possibly induced by thermal fluctuations. Using soliton perturbation theory and large deviation theory, this work determines the soliton ejection rate and the most likely path an ejected soliton tracks in the presence of thermal fields. These results lead to an effective lower bound on the stability of magnetic droplet solitons in spin-transfer torque nanocontact devices operating at finite temperature and point to ways in which droplets can be made more robust.

nlin.PS↗

arXiv2018

Magnonic Band Structure Established by Chiral Spin-Density Waves in Thin Film Ferromagnets

Recent theoretical studies have demonstrated the possibility to excite and sustain noncollinear magnetization states in ferromagnetic nanowires. The resulting state is referred to as a spin-density wave (SDW). SDWs can be interpreted as hydrodynamic states with a constant fluid density and fluid velocity in systems with easy-plane anisotropy. Here, we consider the effect of the nonlocal dipole field arising from the finite thickness of magnetic thin films on the spatial profile of the SDW and on the associated magnon dispersion. Utilizing a hydrodynamic formulation of the Larmor torque equation, it is found that the nonlocal dipole field modulates the fluid velocity. Such a modulation induces a magnonic band structure unlike the typical dispersion relation for magnons on uniform magnetization. The analytical results are validated by micromagnetic simulations. Band gaps on the order of GHz are numerically observed to depend on the SDW fluid velocity and film thickness for realistic material parameters. The presented results suggest that SDWs can find applications as reconfigurable magnonic crystals.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2018

Dissipative shock waves generated by a quantum-mechanical piston

The piston shock problem is a prototypical example of strongly nonlinear fluid flow that enables the experimental exploration of fluid dynamics in extreme regimes. Here we investigate this problem for a nominally dissipationless, superfluid Bose-Einstein condensate and observe rich dynamics including the formation of a plateau region, a non-expanding shock front, and rarefaction waves. Many aspects of the observed dynamics follow predictions of classical dissipative---rather than superfluid dispersive---shock theory. The emergence of dissipative-like dynamics is attributed to the decay of large amplitude excitations at the shock front into turbulent vortex excitations which allow us to invoke an eddy viscosity hypothesis. Our experimental observations are accompanied by numerical simulations of the mean field, Gross-Pitaevskii equation that exhibit quantitative agreement with no fitting parameters. This work provides an avenue for the investigation of quantum shock waves and turbulence in channel geometries, which are currently the focus of intense research efforts.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2018

Solitonic dispersive hydrodynamics: theory and observation

Ubiquitous nonlinear waves in dispersive media include localized solitons and extended hydrodynamic states such as dispersive shock waves. Despite their physical prominence and the development of thorough theoretical and experimental investigations of each separately, experiments and a unified theory of solitons and dispersive hydrodynamics are lacking. Here, a general soliton-mean field theory is introduced and used to describe the propagation of solitons in macroscopic hydrodynamic flows. Two universal adiabatic invariants of motion are identified that predict trapping or transmission of solitons by hydrodynamic states. The result of solitons incident upon smooth expansion waves or compressive, rapidly oscillating dispersive shock waves is the same, an effect termed hydrodynamic reciprocity. Experiments on viscous fluid conduits quantitatively confirm the soliton-mean field theory with broader implications for nonlinear optics, superfluids, geophysical fluids, and other dispersive hydrodynamic media.

nlin.PS↗

arXiv2017

Symmetry-broken dissipative exchange flows in thin-film ferromagnets with in-plane anisotropy

Planar ferromagnetic channels have been shown to theoretically support a long-range ordered and coherently precessing state where the balance between local spin injection at one edge and damping along the channel establishes a dissipative exchange flow, sometimes referred to as a spin superfluid. However, realistic materials exhibit in-plane anisotropy, which breaks the axial symmetry assumed in current theoretical models. Here, we study dissipative exchange flows in a ferromagnet with in-plane anisotropy from a dispersive hydrodynamic perspective. Through the analysis of a boundary value problem for a damped sine-Gordon equation, dissipative exchange flows in a ferromagnetic channel can be excited above a spin current threshold that depends on material parameters and the length of the channel. Symmetry-broken dissipative exchange flows display harmonic overtones that redshift the fundamental precessional frequency and lead to a reduced spin pumping efficiency when compared to their symmetric counterpart. Micromagnetic simulations are used to verify that the analytical results are qualitatively accurate, even in the presence of nonlocal dipole fields. Simulations also confirm that dissipative exchange flows can be driven by spin transfer torque in a finite-sized region. These results delineate the important material parameters that must be optimized for the excitation of dissipative exchange flows in realistic systems.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2017

Transverse instabilities of stripe domains in magnetic thin films with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy

Stripe domains are narrow, elongated, reversed regions that exist in magnetic materials with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. Stripe domains appear as a pair of domain walls that can exhibit topology with a nonzero chirality. Recent experimental and numerical investigations identify an instability of stripe domains in the long direction as a means of nucleating isolated magnetic skyrmions. Here, the onset and nonlinear evolution of transverse instabilities for a dynamic stripe domain known as the bion stripe are investigated. Both non-topological and topological variants of the bion stripe are shown to exhibit a long-wavelength transverse instability with different characteristic features. In the former, small transverse variations in the stripe's width lead to a neck instability that eventually pinches the non-topological stripe into a chain of two-dimensional breathers composed of droplet soliton pairs. In the latter case, small variations in the stripe's center results in a snake instability whose topological structure leads to the nucleation of dynamic magnetic skyrmions and antiskyrmions as well as perimeter-modulated droplets. Quantitative, analytical predictions for both the early, linear evolution and the long-time, nonlinear evolution are achieved using an averaged Lagrangian approach that incorporates both exchange (dispersion) and anisotropy (nonlinearity). The method of analysis is general and can be applied to other filamentary structures.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2017

Vortex-antivortex proliferation from an obstacle in thin film ferromagnets

Magnetization dynamics in thin film ferromagnets can be studied using a dispersive hydrodynamic formulation. The equations describing the magnetodynamics map to a compressible fluid with broken Galilean invariance parametrized by the longitudinal spin density and a magnetic analog of the fluid velocity that define spin-density waves. A direct consequence of these equations is the determination of a magnetic Mach number. Micromagnetic simulations reveal nucleation of nonlinear structures from an impenetrable object realized by an applied magnetic field spot or a defect. In this work, micromagnetic simulations demonstrate vortex-antivortex pair nucleation from an obstacle. Their interaction establishes either ordered or irregular vortex-antivortex complexes. Furthermore, when the magnetic Mach number exceeds unity (supersonic flow), a Mach cone and periodic wavefronts are observed, which can be well-described by solutions of the steady, linearized equations. These results are reminiscent of theoretical and experimental observations in Bose-Einstein condensates, and further supports the analogy between the magnetodynamics of a thin film ferromagnet and compressible fluids. The nucleation of nonlinear structures and vortex-antivortex complexes using this approach enables the study of their interactions and effects on the stability of spin-density waves.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2017

Observation of Self-Cavitating Envelope Dispersive Shock Waves in Yttrium Iron Garnet Thin Films

The formation and properties of envelope dispersive shock wave (DSW) excitations from repulsive nonlinear waves in a magnetic film are studied. Experiments involve the excitation of a spin-wave step pulse in a low-loss magnetic Y$_3$Fe$_5$O$_{12}$ thin film strip, in which the spin-wave amplitude increases rapidly, realizing the canonical Riemann problem of shock theory. Under certain conditions, the envelope of the spin-wave pulse evolves into a DSW that consists of an expanding train of nonlinear oscillations with amplitudes increasing from front to back, terminated by a black soliton. The onset of DSW self-cavitation, indicated by a point of zero power and a concomitant 180 phase jump, is observed for sufficiently large steps, indicative of the bidirectional dispersive hydrodynamic nature of the DSW. The experimental observations are interpreted with theory and simulations of the nonlinear Schrödinger equation.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2016

Breaking of Galilean invariance in the hydrodynamic formulation of ferromagnetic thin films

Microwave magnetodynamics in ferromagnets are often studied in the small-amplitude or weakly nonlinear regime corresponding to modulations of a well-defined magnetic state. However, strongly nonlinear regimes, where the aforementioned approximations are not applicable, have become experimentally accessible. By re-interpreting the governing Landau-Lifshitz equation of motion, we derive an exact set of equations of dispersive hydrodynamic form that are amenable to analytical study even when full nonlinearity and exchange dispersion are included. The resulting equations are shown to, in general, break Galilean invariance. A magnetic Mach number is obtained as a function of static and moving reference frames. The simplest class of solutions are termed uniform hydrodynamic states (UHSs), which exhibit fluid-like behavior including laminar flow at subsonic speeds and the formation of a Mach cone and wave-fronts at supersonic speeds. A regime of modulational instability is also possible, where the UHS is violently unstable. The hydrodynamic interpr

cond-mat.mes-hall↗