Blow-up criteria for the 3d cubic nonlinear Schr\"odinger equation

Abstract

We consider solutions $u$ to the 3d nonlinear Schr\"odinger equation $i\partial_t u + \Delta u + |u|^2u=0$. In particular, we are interested in finding criteria on the initial data $u_0$ that predict the asymptotic behavior of $u(t)$, e.g., whether $u(t)$ blows-up in finite time, exists globally in time but behaves like a linear solution for large times (scatters), or exists globally in time but does not scatter. This question has been resolved (at least for $H^1$ data) if $M[u]E[u]\leq M[Q]E[Q]$, where $M[u]$ and $E[u]$ denote the mass and energy of $u$, and $Q$ denotes the ground state solution to $-Q+\Delta Q +|Q|^2Q=0$. Here, we prove a new sufficient condition for blow-up using an interpolation type inequality and the virial identity that is applicable to certain initial data satisfying $M[u]E[u]>M[Q]E[Q]$. Our condition is similar to one obtained by Lushnikov (1995) but our method allows for an adaptation to radial, infinite-variance initial data that can be stated conceptually: for real initial data, if a certain fraction of the mass is contained in the unit ball, then blow-up occurs. We also show analytically (if one takes the numerically computed value of $\|Q\|_{\dot H^{1/2}}$) that there exist Gaussian initial data $u_0$ with negative quadratic phase such that $\|u_0\|_{\dot H^{1/2}} < \|Q\|_{\dot H^{1/2}}$ but the solution $u(t)$ blows-up. We conclude with several numerically computed examples.