Nonlinear Waves Solitons and Chaos

This revised and updated second edition of a highly successful text embraces a universal approach to three major developments in classical physics: namely nonlinear waves solitons and chaos. The authors include new material on biology and laser theory and go on to discuss important recent developments such as soliton metamorphosis. They also offer a new section on a direct method to study transverse instabilities of pulse-like structures. A comprehensive treatment of basic plasma and fluid configurations and instabilities is followed by a study of the relevant nonlinear structures. Additional key features comprise color illustrations of soliton dynamics and end-of-chapter problems. In general it will be of value to final year undergraduates and beginning graduate students studying fluid dynamics plasma physics and applied mathematics.