Soliton dynamics in the complex modified KdV equation with a periodic potential (Q2463462)

The authors study the existence of solitary wave solutions (solitons) for the equation \(u_t-\varepsilon u_{xxx} -\gamma |u|^2 u_x + i\alpha \sin (Kx) u =0\) (with \(u\) complex valued) by means of a variational approach that seeks approximate solitons from an ansatz that is modeled after solitary waves of the unperturbed equation \(\alpha=0\) plugged into the Lagrangian variational problem for the perturbed equation. This approach retrieves hopeful solitons pinned to the minima and maxima of the potential. The authors' numerical results indicate the existence of moving solitary wave solutions, but also of such as are retrieved by the variational ansatz. The authors study the stability of the variationally constructed stationary solitons by means of the Vakhitov-Kolokolov criterion, discussing briefly the limitations of this test and compare its stability predictions with numerically obtained stability results. They finally add some numerical results about soliton-soliton interactions in this equation.