Time decay for the solutions of a nonlinear Dirac equation in one space dimension (Q1111083)

\textit{W. E. Thirring} [Ann. Phys. 3, 91-112 (1958; Zbl 0078.443)] considered the Cauchy problem for the nonlinear Dirac equation in one space dimension \[ (1)\quad u_ t=-\alpha u_ x-ik| u|^ 2u,\quad t\in R,\quad x\in R;\quad u(0,x)=u_ 0(x),\quad x\in {\mathbb{R}}, \] where \(\alpha\) is a \(2\times 2\) matrix with \(\alpha^+={\bar \alpha}^ T=\alpha\), \(\alpha^ 2=I\), k is a constant, \(u=col(u_ 1,u_ 2)\), \(| u|^ 2=u^+u\). An estimate for the \(L^{\infty}\) space norm of u(t) is deduced. It implies the existence of a unique global solution of (1). It is proved that the solution of (1) verifies the time decay \(\lim_{t\to \infty}\int_{| x| \leq R}| u(t,x)|^ 2 dx=0\) for each \(R>0\).