Numerical interactions between compactons and kovatons of the Rosenau–Pikovsky equation

A numerical study of the nonlinear wave solutions of the Rosenau–Pikovsky K ( cos ) equation is presented. This equation supports at least two kinds of solitary waves with compact support: compactons of varying amplitude and speed both bounded and kovatons which have the maximum compacton amplitude but arbitrary width. A new Padé numerical method is used to simulate the propagation and, with small artificial viscosity added, the interaction between these kind of solitary waves. Several numerically induced phenomena that appear while propagating these compact travelling waves are discussed quantitatively, including self-similar forward and backward wavepackets. The collisions of compactons and kovatons show new phenomena such as the inversion of compactons and the generation of pairwise ripples decomposing into small compacton–anticompacton pairs.