TY - JOUR
T1 - Classical chaos in nonseparable wave propagation problems
AU - Palmer, David R.
AU - Brown, Michael G.
AU - Tappert, Frederick D.
AU - Bezdek, Hugo F.
PY - 1988/6
Y1 - 1988/6
N2 - 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.
AB - 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.
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U2 - 10.1029/GL015i006p00569
DO - 10.1029/GL015i006p00569
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0023754333
VL - 15
SP - 569
EP - 572
JO - Geophysical Research Letters
JF - Geophysical Research Letters
SN - 0094-8276
IS - 6
ER -