Nanoptera in higher-order nonlinear Schrödinger equations: effects of discretization

We consider generalizations of nonlinear Schrödinger equations, which we call “Karpman equations,” that include additional linear higher-order derivatives. Singularly-perturbed Karpman equations produce generalized solitary waves (GSWs) in the form of solitary waves with exponentially small oscillatory tails. Nanoptera are a special type of GSW in which the oscillatory tails do not decay. Previous research on continuous third-order and fourth-order Karpman equations has shown that nanoptera occur in specific settings. We use exponential asymptotic techniques to identify traveling nanoptera in singularly-perturbed continuous Karpman equations. We then study the effect of discretization on nanoptera by applying a finite-difference discretization to continuous Karpman equations and examining traveling-wave solutions. The finite-difference discretization turns a continuous Karpman equation into an advance–delay equation, which we study using exponential asymptotic analysis. By comparing nanoptera in these discrete Karpman equations with nanoptera in their continuous counterparts, we show that the oscillation amplitudes and periods in the nanoptera tails differ in the continuous and discrete equations. We also show that the parameter values at which there is a bifurcation between nanopteron solutions and decaying oscillatory solutions depends on the choice of discretization. Finally, by comparing different higher-order discretizations of the fourth-order Karpman equation, we show that the bifurcation value tends to a nonzero constant for large orders, rather than to 0 as in the associated continuous Karpman equation.