Premium
Classical chaos in nonseparable wave propagation problems
Author(s) -
Palmer David R.,
Brown Michael G.,
Tappert Frederick D.,
Bezdek Hugo F.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/gl015i006p00569
Subject(s) - chaotic , hamiltonian (control theory) , hamiltonian system , physics , classical mechanics , statistical physics , equations of motion , wave propagation , chaos (operating system) , mathematical analysis , mathematics , quantum mechanics , computer science , mathematical optimization , artificial intelligence , computer security
Numerical calculations show that acoustic ray paths in a weakly range‐dependent deterministic ocean model exhibit chaotic behavior, that is, have an exponentially sensitive dependence on initial conditions. Since the ray equations define a nonautonomous Hamiltonian system with one degree of freedom, these results may be understood in terms of recent advances in classical chaos. The Hamiltonian structure of ray equations in general suggests that chaotic ray trajectories will be present in all types of linear wave motion in geophysics when variables do not separate, as in laterally inhomogeneous media.