The monoatomic FPU system as a limit of a diatomic FPU system

Abstract

We consider a diatomic infinite Fermi-Pasta-Ulam (FPU) system with light and heavy particles. For a small mass ratio, we prove error estimates for the approximation of the dynamics of this system by the dynamics of the monoatomic FPU system. The light particles are squeezed by the heavy particles at the mean value of their displacements. The error estimates are derived by means of the energy method and hold for sufficiently long times, for which the dynamics of the monoatomic FPU system is observed. The approximation result is restricted to sufficiently small displacements of the heavy particles relatively to each other.