INTERACTION OF 2 LIQUID SOLITARY WAVES IN A TROUGH RESONATOR

The interaction phenomena of two solitary waves observed by Wu, Keolia n, and Rudnick [Phys. Rev. Lett. 52, 1421 (1984)] in a trough resonato r are analytically analyzed by the perturbative variation method. The coalescence period and the first coalescence time for same-polarity so litary waves as well as the interaction force and the interaction pote ntial are given, which, to a certain extent, can explain the experimen tal phenomena well. The stable separation between two opposite-polarit y solitary waves is explained to be the result of the balance of the s oliton interaction force and an equivalent force due to the action of the two end walls on the solitons.