LOCALIZED MOVING BREATHERS IN A 2D HEXAGONAL LATTICE

We show for the first time that highly localized in-plane breathers ca n propagate in specific directions with minimal lateral spreading in a model 2D hexagonal nonlinear lattice. The lattice is subject to an on -site potential in addition to longitudinal nonlinear interparticle in teractions. This study investigates the prediction that stable breathe r-like solitons could be formed as a result Of energetic scattering ev ents in a given layered crystal and would propagate in atomic-chain di rections in certain atomic planes. This prediction arose from a long-t erm study of previously unexplained dark lines in natural crystals of muscovite mica. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.