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SynopsisWe construct local minimisers to certain variational problems. The method is quite general and relies on the theory of Γ-convergence. The approach is demonstrated through the model problemIt is shown that in certain nonconvex domains Ω ⊂ ℝn and for ε small, there exist nonconstant local minimisers uε satisfying uε ≈ ± 1 except in a thin transition layer. The location of the layer is determined through the requirement that in the limit uε →u0, the hypersurface separating the states u0 = 1 and u0 = −1 locally minimises surface area. Generalisations are discussed with, for example, vector-valued u and “anisotropic” perturbations replacing |∇u|2.

We provide here new insights into the classical problem of a one-dimensional superconducting wire exposed to an applied electric current using the time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau model. The most striking feature of this system is the well-known appearance of oscillatory solutions exhibiting phase slip centers (PSC's) where the order parameter vanishes. Retaining temperature and applied current as parameters, we present a simple yet definitive explanation of the mechanism within this nonlinear model that leads to the PSC phenomenon and we establish where in parameter space these oscillatory solutions can be found. One of the most interesting features of the analysis is the evident collision of real eigenvalues of the associated PT-symmetric linearization, leading as it does to the emergence of complex elements of the spectrum.

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