Critical thresholds in Euler-Poisson equations

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Abstract: We present a preliminary study of a new phenomena associated with the Euler-Poisson equations -- the so called critical threshold phenomena, where the answer to questions of global smoothness vs. finite time breakdown depends on whether the initial configuration crosses an intrinsic, O(1) critical threshold. We investigate a class of Euler-Poisson equations, ranging from one-dimensional problem with or without various forcing mechanisms to multi-dimensional isotropic models with geometrical symmetry. These models are shown to admit a critical threshold which is reminiscent of the conditional breakdown of waves on the beach; only waves above certain initial critical threshold experience finite-time breakdown, but otherwise they propagate smoothly. At the same time,the asymptotic long time behavior of the solutions remains the same, independent of crossing these initial thresholds. A case in point is the simple one-dimensional problem where the unforced inviscid Burgers' solution always forms a shock discontinuity except for the non-generic case of increasing initial profile, u0′geq0. In contrast, we show that the corresponding one dimensional Euler-Poisson equation with zero background has global smooth solutions as long as its initial (ho0,u0)- configuration satisfies u0′geq−sqrt2kho0, allowing a finite, critical negative velocity gradient. As is typical for such nonlinear convection problems one is led to a Ricatti equation which is balanced here by a forcing acting as a 'nonlinear resonance', and which in turn is responsible for this critical threshold phenomena.


This interesting paper contains a preliminary study of new phenomena associated with the Euler-Poisson equation called critical threshold phenomena. In these phenomena the answer to questions concerning the global smoothness versus finite time breakdown depend on whether the initial configuration crosses an intrinsic \(O(1)\) critical threshold. A typical case is the simple one-dimensional problem where the unforced inviscid Burgers' equation has a solution that always forms a shock discontinuity except in the non-generic case of an increasing initial profile. The paper, containing five sections and an appendix emphasizes once again the way in which problems lying on the linear/nonlinear borderline lead to the Riccati equation.




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