Strong nonlinear instability and growth of Sobolev norms near quasiperiodic finite gap tori for the 2D cubic NLS equation (Q6160174)

This paper consider the defocusing cubic nonlinear Schrödinger equation on the two-dimensional torus \[ i \partial_t u + \Delta u = \vert u \vert^2 u, (x, y) \in \mathbb{T}^2 := [\mathbb{R} / (2\pi \mathbb{Z})]^2,\tag{1} \] which obeys the laws of mass conservation \[ M(u) = \int_{\mathbb{T}^2} \vert u(x, y) \vert^2 \mathrm{d}x \mathrm{d}y\tag{2} \] and energy conservation \[ E(u) = \frac12 \int_{\mathbb{T}^2} \vert \nabla u(x, y) \vert^2 \mathrm{dx} \mathrm{d}y + \frac14 \int_{\mathbb{T}^2} \vert u(x, y) \vert^4 \mathrm{d}x \mathrm{d}y.\tag{3} \] The authors construct solutions to (1) that start arbitrarily close to elliptic invariant quasiperiodic tori in the \( H^s \) topology and whose \( H^s \) norm can grow by any given factor. The study of long-time stability show that (2) exhibit a strong form of transverse instability in \( H^s(\mathbb{T}^2) \) for \( 0 < s < 1 \). The inspirations for this post comes from the finite gap solutions of the following one-dimensional subsystem \[ i \partial_t q + \partial_{xx} q = \vert q \vert^2 q, x \in \mathbb{T},\tag{4} \] which is completely integrable and so admits invariant tori of finite or infinite dimension with periodic, quasiperiodic, or almost periodic dynamics in its phase space. In particular, \textit{A. Maspero} [Nonlinearity 31, 1981--2030 (2018; Zbl 1391.35356)] used the Birkhoff coordinates to show that the above one-dimensional cubic Schrödinger equation ``behaves well'' in \( l^1 \). More precisely, it is proved that the Birkhoff map is majorant analytic between some Fourier-Lebesgue spaces. Like KdV, Toda lattice, and other integrable systems, all solutions of (4) have Sobolev norms uniformly bounded in time, see also [\textit{D. Bambusi} and \textit{A. Maspero}, J. Funct. Anal. 270, 1818--1887 (2016; Zbl 1335.37047); \textit{B. Grébert} and \textit{T. Kappeler}, EMS Ser. Lect. Math., Eur. Math. Soc., Zürich (2014; Zbl 1298.35002); \textit{T. Kappeler} et al., Comm. Math. Phys. 346, 191--236 (2016; Zbl 1353.35251); Math. Res. Lett. 24, 803--826 (2017; Zbl 1390.35330)]. . After exhibiting the integrable structure of (4), one can find the tori on which its solutions lie are Lyapunov stable. Some of these solutions are linearly stable as solutions to (1). Indeed, (2) and (3) can directly imply Lyapunov stability in the \( H^1 \) and \( L^2 \) topology. On the contrary, seminal works by [\textit{J. Bourgain}, Int. Math. Res. Notices, 277--304 (1996; Zbl 0934.35166)], \textit{S. B. Kuksin} [Comm. Math. Phys. 178, 265--280 (1996; Zbl 0862.35112); Geom. Funct. Anal. 7, 783--822 (1997; Zbl 0912.35143); Geom. Funct. Anal. 7, 338--363 (1997; Zbl 0874.35113)], and \textit{J. Colliander} et al. [Invent. Math. 181, 39--113 (2010; Zbl 1197.35265)] studied the quantitative version of the forward energy cascade and showed a strong from of Lyapunov instability in \( H^s, s \ne 1 \) of the elliptic critical point \( u = 0 \) for (1), i.e. \( \forall s > 1 \), \( \delta \ll 1 \), \( M \gg 1 \), there exist solutions \( u \) of (1) such that \[ \Vert u(0) \Vert_{H^s} \leqslant \delta, \Vert u(T) \Vert_{H^s} \geqslant M \] for some \( T > 0 \). Later, \textit{P. Gérard} and \textit{S. Grellier} [Trans. Amer. Math. Soc. 367, 2979--2995 (2015 Zbl 1318.37024)] studied another integrable system, the Szegő equation, and proved that it exhibits growth of Sobolev norms based on a Baire category argument. Wave turbulence theory predicts the existence of solutions that exhibit a cascade of energy between very different length scales. This nonlinear phenomenon is the underlying mechanism behind the long-time instability of the finite gap tori, which extends KAM techniques to infinite dimensions successfully. The techniques covered in this article include, but are not limited to, linearization process in reducibility theory, Birkhoff normal form change of variables, elimination non-resonant terms from, truncation and approximation argument.