Energy cascade for the Klein-Gordon lattice

Abstract

We study analytically the dynamics of a $d$-dimensional Klein-Gordon lattice with periodic boundary conditions, for $d \leq 3$. We consider initial data supported on one low-frequency Fourier mode. We show that, in the continuous approximation, the resonant normal form of the system is given by a small-dispersion nonlinear Schr\"odinger (NLS) equation. By exploiting a result about the growth of Sobolev norms for solutions of small-dispersion NLS, we are able to describe an energy cascade phenomenon for the Klein-Gordon lattice, where part of the energy is transferred to modes associated to higher frequencies. Such phenomenon holds within the time-scale for which we can ensure the validity of the continuous approximation.