Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2003 iii Paper 74 3 b Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
Expanding the exponential for gives . Substitution of the plane wave in the model giveswhich is exactly the quadratic approximation to the dispersion relation.
For the slowly varying width, put and use the WKB approximationThe derivatives areAt leading order . On the downstream small-wavenumber branch writeso is independent of . The next order gives the slowly varying triangular-jet envelope transport equationIntegration therefore yieldsIndeed, . The requested power is the leading low-frequency envelope, not the exact finite-frequency exponent of the quadratic model. The corresponding leading field is this wave envelope times . Positive slowly varying width and separation from the zero of the local group velocity, , are needed for this WKB approximation. Extremely large can also invalidate replacing the exact exponent by .