Asymptotics of Solutions to the Modified Nonlinear Schrödinger Equation: Solitons on a Non-Vanishing Continuous Background

Abstract

Using the matrix Riemann-Hilbert factorization approach for nonlinear evolution systems which take the form of Lax-pair isospectral deformations and whose corresponding Lax operators contain both discrete and continuous spectra, the leading-order asymptotics as $t \to \pm \infty$ of the solution to the Cauchy problem for the modified nonlinear Schrödinger equation, $i \partial_{t} u + {1/2} \partial_{x}^{2} u + | u |^{2} u + i s \partial_{x} (| u |^{2} u) = 0$, $s \in \Bbb R_{>0}$, which is a model for nonlinear pulse propagation in optical fibers in the subpicosecond time scale, are obtained: also derived are analogous results for two gauge-equivalent nonlinear evolution equations; in particular, the derivative nonlinear Schrödinger equation, $i \partial_{t} q + \partial_{x}^{2} q - i \partial_{x} (| q |^{2} q) = 0$. As an application of these asymptotic results, explicit expressions for position and phase shifts of solitons in the presence of the continuous spectrum are calculated.