The Gross Pitaevski map as a chaotic dynamical system

Abstract

The Gross Pitaevski map is a discrete time, split operator version of the Gross Pitaevski dynamics in the circle, for which exponential instability has been recently reported. Here it is studied as a classical dynamical system in its own right. A systematic analysis of Lyapunov exponents exposes strongly chaotic behavior. Exponential growth of energy is then shown to be a direct consequence of rotational invariance and for stationary solutions the full spectrum of Lyapunov exponents is analytically computed. The present analysis includes the resonant case, when the free rotation period is commensurate to $2\pi$, and the map has countably many constants of the motion. Except for lowest order resonances, this case exhibits an integrable-chaotic transition.