KdV waves in atomic chains with nonlocal interactions (Q887691)

The paper under review concerns the infinite atomic chain with nonlocal particle interactions, described by the following equations of motion \[ \ddot{u}_j(t) = \sum_{m = 1}^M (\Phi'_m(u_{j+m} - u_j) - \Phi'_m(u_j - u_{j-m})), \] where the potentials \(\Phi_m\) have the form \[ \Phi_m(r) = \frac{1}{2} \alpha_m r^2 + \frac{1}{3} \beta_m r^3 + \Psi_m(r), \quad \Psi_m(r) = O(r^4). \] The authors prove the existence of KdV-type soliton solutions for the considered system. The method of investigation generalizes the ideas of the paper [\textit{G. Friesecke} and \textit{R. L. Pego}, Nonlinearity 12, No. 6, 1601--1627 (1999; Zbl 0962.82015)], where chains with nearest-neighbor interactions are studied. The authors of the present paper point out the following two differences of their approach: ``First, we allow for a wider class of atomic systems and must hence replace the distance profile by the velocity profile. Second, in the asymptotic analysis we avoid a detailed Fourier pole characterization of the nonlocal integral operators and employ the contraction mapping principle to solve the final fixed point problem.''