This thesis is mainly concerned with the properties of some discrete nonlinear Schrödinger equations. These naturally arise in many different physical contexts as the limiting form of general dynamical lattice equations that incorporate nonlinearity and coupling. Interest is focused on theoretical models of coupled optical waveguides constructed from materials with a nonlinear index of refraction. In arrays of waveguides the overlap of the evanescent electric field of the modes in neighbouring waveguides provides a coupling and the nonlinearity of the material provides a mechanism to halt the discrete diffraction that otherwise would spread localized energy across the array. In particular, waveguide structures where also a nonlinear coupling is taken into account are studied. It is noted that the equation for the evolution of the complex amplitudes of the electric field along an array of waveguides also can be used to describe the dynamics of Bose-Einstein condensates trapped in a periodic optical potential. Possible excitations in arrays in both one and two dimensions are considered, with emphasis on the effects of the nonlinear coupling. Localized excitations are considered from the viewpoint of the theory of discrete breathers, or intrinsic localized modes, i.e., solutions of the dynamical equations that are periodic in time and have a spatial localization. The general theory of such solutions, that appear under very general circumstances in nonlinear lattice equations, is reviewed. In an array of waveguides this means that light can propagate along the array confined essentially to one or a few waveguides. In general a distinction is made between excitations that are centred on a waveguide, or site in the lattice, and excitations that are centred inbetween waveguides. Usually only the former give stable propagation. When the localized beam can be displaced to neighbouring waveguides the array can operate as an optical switch. With the inclusion of nonlinear coupling between the sites, as in the model derived in this thesis, the stability of the site-centred and bond-centred solutions can be exchanged. It is shown how this leads to the existence of highly localized mobile solutions that can propagate transversely in the one-dimensional array of waveguides. The inversion of stability of stationary solutions occurs also in the two-dimensional array, but in this setting it fails to give good mobility of localized excitations. The reason for this is also explained. In a two-dimensional lattice a discrete breather can have the form of a vortex. This means that the phase of the complex amplitude will vary on a contour around the excitation, such that the phase is increased by 2πS, where S is the topological charge, on the completion of one turn. Some ring-like vortex excitations are considered and in particular a stable vortex with S=2 is found. It is also noted that the effect of charge flipping, i.e., when the topological charge periodically changes between -S and S, is connected to the existence of quasiperiodic solutions. The nonlinear coupling of the waveguide model will also give rise to some more exotic and novel properties of localized solutions, e.g., discrete breathers with a nontrivial phase. When the linear coupling and the nonlinear coupling have opposite signs, there can be a decoupling in the lattice that allows for compact solutions. These localized excitations will have no decaying tail. Of interest is also the flexibility in controlling the transport of power across the array when it is excited with a nonlinear plane wave. It is shown how a change of the amplitude of a plane wave can affect the magnitude and direction of power flow in the array. Also the continuum limit of the one-dimensional discrete waveguide model is considered with an equation incorporating both nonlocal and nonlinear dispersion. In general continuum equations the balance between nonlinearity and dispersion can lead to the formation of localized travelling waves, or solitons. With nonlinear dispersion it is seen that these solitons can be nonanalytic and have discontinuous spatial derivatives. The emergence of short-wavelength instabilities due to the simultaneous presence of nonlocal and nonlinear dispersion is also explained.

<p>This thesis focuses on chaotic stationary waves, both quantum mechanical and classical. In particular we study different statistical properties regarding thesewaves, such as energy transport, intensity (or density) and stress tensor components. Also, the methods used to model these waves are investigated, and somelimitations and specialities are pointed out.</p>

This thesis focuses on chaotic stationary waves, both quantum mechanical and classical. In particular we study different statistical properties regarding thesewaves, such as energy transport, intensity (or density) and stress tensor components. Also, the methods used to model these waves are investigated, and somelimitations and specialities are pointed out.

<p>Two codes have been developed and implemented for use on massively parallelsuper computers to simulate two-dimensional and quasigeostrophic turbulence.The codes have been found to scale well with increasing resolution and width ofthe simulations. This has allowed for the highest resolution simulations of two-dimensional and quasigeostrophic turbulence so far reported in the literature.The direct numerical simulations have focused on the statistical characteristicsof turbulent cascades of energy and enstrophy, the role of coherent vorticesand departures from universal scaling laws, theoretized more than 40 yearsago. In particular, the investigations have concerned the enstrophy and energycascade in forced and decaying two-dimensional turbulence. Furthermore, theapplicability of Charney’s hypotheses on quasigeostrophic turbulence has beentested. The results have shed light on the flow evolution at very large Reynoldsnumbers. The most important results are the robustness of the enstrophycascade in forced and decaying two-dimensional turbulence, the unexpecteddependency on an infrared Reynolds number in the spectral scaling of theenergy spectrum in the inverse energy cascade, and the validation of Charney’spredictions on the dynamics of quasigeostrophic turbulence. It has also beenshown that the scaling of the energy spectrum in the enstrophy cascade isinsensitive to intermittency in higher order statistics, but that corrections mightapply to the ”universal” Batchelor-Kraichnan constant.</p>

Two codes have been developed and implemented for use on massively parallelsuper computers to simulate two-dimensional and quasi-geostrophic turbulence.The codes have been found to scale well with increasing resolution and width ofthe simulations. This has allowed for the highest resolution simulations of twodimensionaland quasi-geostrophic turbulence so far reported in the literature.The direct numerical simulations have focused on the statistical characteristicsof turbulent cascades of energy and enstrophy, the role of coherent vorticesand departures from universal scaling laws, theoretized more than 40 yearsago. In particular, the investigations have concerned the enstrophy and energycascades in forced and decaying two-dimensional turbulence. Furthermore, theapplicability of Charney’s hypotheses on quasi-geostrophic turbulence has beentested. The results have shed light on the flow evolution at very large Reynoldsnumbers. The most important results are the robustness of the enstrophycascade in forced and decaying two-dimensional turbulence, the sensitivity toan infrared Reynolds number in the spectral scaling of the energy spectrumin the inverse energy cascade range, and the validation of Charney’s predictionson the dynamics of quasi-geostrophic turbulence. It has also been shownthat the scaling of the energy spectrum in the enstrophy cascade is insensitiveto intermittency in higher order statistics, but that corrections apply to the”universal” Batchelor-Kraichnan constant, as a consequence of large-scale dissipationanomalies following a classical remark by Landau (Landau &amp; Lifshitz1987). Another finding is that the inverse energy cascade is maintained bynonlocal triad interactions, which is in contradiction with the classical localityassumption. / QC 20101029

This thesis addresses solitary waves and their significance for auroral particle acceleration, coronal heating and incoherent scatter radar spectra. Solitary waves are formed due to a balance of nonlinear and dispersive effects. There are several nonlinearities present in ideal magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) and dispersion can be introduced by including theHall termin the generalised Ohm’s law. The resulting system of equations comprise the classical ideal MHD waves, whistlers, drift waves and solitarywave solutions. The latter reside in distinct regions of the phase space spanned by the speed and the angle (to the magnetic field) of the propagating wave. Within each region, qualitatively similar solitary structures are found. In the limit of neglected electron intertia, the solitary wave solutions are confined to two regions of slow and fast waves, respectively. The slow (fast) structures are associated with density compressions (rarefactions) and positive (negative) electric potentials. Such negative potentials are shown to accelerate electrons in the auroral region (solar corona) to tens (hundreds) of keV. The positive electric potentials could accelerate solar wind ions to velocities of 300–800 km/s. The structure widths perpendicular to themagnetic field are in the Earth’s magnetosphere (solar corona) of the order of 1–100 km (m). This thesis also addresses a type of incoherent scatter radar spectra, where the ion line exhibits a spectrally uniform power enhancement with the up- and downshifted shoulder and the spectral region in between enhanced simultaneously and equally. The power enhancements are one order of magnitude above the thermal level and are often localised to an altitude range of less than 20 km at or close to the ionospheric F region peak. The observations are well-described by a model of ion-acoustic solitary waves propagating transversely across the radar beam. Two cases of localised ion line enhancements are shown to occur in conjunction with auroral arcs drifting through the radar beam. The arc passages are associated with large gradients in ion temperature, which are shown to generate sufficiently high velocity shears to give rise to growing Kelvin-Helmholtz (K-H) instabilities. The observed ion line enhancements are interpreted in the light of the low-frequency turbulence associated with these instabilities. / Denna avhandling handlar om solitära vågor och deras roll i norrskensacceleration och koronaupphettning, samt deras signatur i spektra uppmätta med inkoherent spridningsradar. Solitära vågor bildas genom en balans mellan ickelinjära och dispersiva effekter. Ickelinjäriteter finns det gott om i ideal magnetohydrodynamik (MHD) och dispersion kan införas genom att inkludera Halltermen i den generaliserade Ohms lag. Det resulterande ekvationssystemet omfattar de klassiska vågorna inom ideal MHD, visslare, driftvågor och solitära vågor. De sistnämnda återfinns i väldefinierade områden i fasrummet som spänns upp av farten och vinkeln (mot magnetfältet) för den propagerande vågen. Inom varje sådant område återfinns kvalitativt lika solitära våglösningar. Om man försummar elektronernas tröghet begränsas de solitära våglösningarna till två områden med långsamma respektive snabba vågor. De långsamma (snabba) strukturerna är associerade med täthets-kompressioner (förtunningar) och positiva (negativa) elektriska potentialer. De negativa potentialerna visas kunna accelerera elektroner i norrskensområdet (solens korona) till tiotals (hundratals) keV medan de positiva potentialerna accelererar solvindsjoner till hastigheter på 300–800 km/s. Strukturbredderna vinkelrät mot magnetfältet är i jordens magnetosfär (solens korona) av storleksordningen 1–100 km (m). Denna avhandling tar även upp en typ av inkoherent spridningsradarspektra, där jonlinjen uppvisar en spektralt uniform förstärkning. Detta innebär att den upp- och nedskiftade skuldran och spektralbandet däremellan förstärks simultant och i lika hög grad. Effektförstärkningen är en storleksordning över den termiska nivån och är ofta lokaliserad till ett höjd-intervall av mindre än 20 km nära jonosfärens F-skiktstopp. Observationerna beskrivs väl av en modell med solitära vågor som propagerar transversellt genom radarstrålen. Två fall av lokaliserade jonlinjeförstärkningar visas sammanfalla med att norrskensbågar driver genom radarstrålen. I samband med bågarnas passage uppmäts stora gradienter i jontemperatur, vilket visas skapa tillräckligt kraftiga hastighetsskjuvningar för att Kelvin-Helmholtz-instabiliteter ska tillåtas växa. De observerade jonlinjeförstärkningarna tolkas i skenet av den lågfrekventa turbulensen som är kopplad till dessa instabiliteter.