Waves Called Solitons

Beschreibung

This book is an elementary introduction to the fascinating world of waves called solitons. These large-amplitude waves, which can propagate over long distances without dispersing and which display particle-like properties, are one of the most striking manifestations of nonlinearity.
The main concepts are introduced at an elementary level accessible to the undergraduate. In a self-contained and interdisciplinary whole, such topics as electrical, hydrodynamic, chemical, and optical solitons, are discussed. Many of the author's choices of emphasis have been made with experiments in mind; several experiments can readily be performed by the reader.
This book is not meant for specialists but for students, physicists, engineers, and practitioners. The chapters are independently written in order that the reader should quickly find the required information.
The second edition of this highly praised book has new material, especially on nonlinear transmission lines, on various forms of modulational instabilities, and on quantum optical solitons.

Encouraged by the friendly reception given to the first edition, I have preserved its basic form and most of the details. Apart from some corrections, minor changes, and addition of references where it was necessary, I have made the following changes. Chapter 1 was expanded by a discussion of the discovery of soli tons in the field of electromagnetic waves and optics. A new section devoted to nonlinear transmission lines and their applications in the microwave range has been added to Chap. 3. It seems to me that it was important to describe laboratory experiments on modulational instability, and subsequent generation of solitons, both in electrical transmission lines and in deep water in Chaps. 4 and 5. A description of a very simple experimental pocket version of the mechanical transmission line has been included in Chap. 6. Such a versatile and useful device should stimulate a practical approach to soli ton physics. Chapter 7 was completed by a short presentation of some recent experimental results on discrete Josephson transmission lines. A discussion of the experimental modulational instability of coupled optical waves and a simple look at quantum solitons were added to Chap. 8 in order to introduce the reader to such remarkable topics. Of the many people who made valuable comments on the first edition, I am particularly grateful to M. Dragoman, Y. S. Kivshar and A. W. Snyder. I would like to thank R. S. MacKay whose corrections and suggestions helped refine the manuscript of this second edition.

Autor*in

Michel Remoissenet

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Nonlinear Transmission Line Quantum Solition Soliton Transmission optics

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