Inverse problems for non-linear hyperbolic equations with disjoint sources and receivers

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel method using three-wave interactions to solve inverse problems for non-linear hyperbolic equations, enabling the unique recovery of manifold structures from separated sources and observations in all dimensions.

Contribution

It develops a new approach employing three-wave interactions and linearization to recover geometric structures in inverse wave problems without assumptions on conjugate points.

Findings

Successfully recovers the background metric up to natural obstructions.

Establishes three-to-one scattering data from wave interactions.

Applicable in all dimensions $n+1 extgreater=3$.

Abstract

The paper studies inverse problems of determining unknown coefficients in various semi-linear and quasi-linear wave equations. We introduce a method to solve inverse problems for non-linear equations using interaction of three waves, that makes it possible to study the inverse problem in all dimensions $n+1\geq 3$. We consider the case when the set $\Omega_{\textrm{in}}$, where the sources are supported, and the set $\Omega_{\textrm{out}}$, where the observations are made, are separated. As model problems we study both a quasi-linear and also a semi-linear wave equation and show in each case that it is possible to uniquely recover the background metric up to the natural obstructions for uniqueness that is governed by finite speed of propagation for the wave equation and a gauge corresponding to change of coordinates. The proof consists of two independent components. In the first half we study multiple-fold linearization of the non-linear wave equation near real parts of Gaussian beams that results in a three-wave interaction. We show that the three-wave interaction can produce a three-to-one scattering data. In the second half of the paper, we study an abstract formulation of the three-to-one scattering relation showing that it recovers the topological, differential and conformal structures of the manifold in a causal diamond set that is the intersection of the future of the point $p_{in}\in \Omega_{\textrm{in}}$ and the past of the point $p_{out}\in \Omega_{\textrm{out}}$. The results do not require any assumptions on the conjugate or cut points.