Oblique spatial dispersive shock waves in nonlinear Schr\"odinger flows

TL;DR

This paper introduces spatial oblique dispersive shock waves in nonlinear Schrödinger flows, analyzing their formation, stability, and relation to flow fields using Whitham theory and numerical simulations.

Contribution

It constructs and analyzes spatial oblique DSWs in 2D nonlinear Schrödinger flows, revealing their stability properties and connection to flow conditions.

Findings

Oblique DSWs can be generated in 2D nonlinear Schrödinger flows.

They exhibit convective or absolute instability in supersonic flows.

Convective instability can stabilize the DSWs.

Abstract

In dispersive media, hydrodynamic singularities are resolved by coherent wavetrains known as dispersive shock waves (DSWs). Only dynamically expanding, temporal DSWs are possible in one-dimensional media. The additional degree of freedom inherent in two-dimensional media allows for the generation of time-independent DSWs that exhibit spatial expansion. Spatial oblique DSWs, dispersive analogs of oblique shocks in classical media, are constructed utilizing Whitham modulation theory for a class of nonlinear Schr\"{o}dinger boundary value problems. Self-similar, simple wave solutions of the modulation equations yield relations between the DSW's orientation and the upstream/downstream flow fields. Time dependent numerical simulations demonstrate a convective or absolute instability of oblique DSWs in supersonic flow over obstacles. The convective instability results in an effective stabilization of the DSW.