How Does Wave Broadening Affect Amplitude in Dispersive Media?

AI Thread Summary
Wave broadening in dispersive media occurs as different frequency components travel at varying speeds, leading to changes in pulse shape while maintaining the overall wave periodicity. Although the amplitude of a pulse can change due to this broadening, the individual sine waves that compose the pulse retain their spectrum. The discussion highlights that while the pulse shape alters, the spectrum can remain constant, and vice versa; for the pulse shape to remain unchanged, the spectrum must vary. Understanding this relationship is crucial for grasping concepts like self-modulation and dispersion. Overall, the interplay between pulse shape and spectrum is fundamental in analyzing wave behavior in dispersive media.
eahaidar
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I want to ask how does the wave keep the same amplitude if the wave broadens ?
Thank you for your time
 
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Simon Bridge said:
The periodicity of the waves means that as the different frequency waves spread out, they will still add up to the same wave shape. But for a pulse, the amplitude does change.
http://www.acs.psu.edu/drussell/Demos/Dispersion/dispersion.html

Thank u I was watching a lecture about self modulation and dispersion I just having a hard time understanding what do they mean when they say pulse shape changes while the spectrum remains the same with distance and vice versa can u elaborate on that ?
Thank you so much
 
The pulse is made of traveling sine waves.
The particular mix of sine waves that go to make the pulse is it's spectrum.

In a dispersive media, the different sine waves travel at different speeds - making the pulse change shape - but the mixture is still the same because the individual sine waves go through all space.

But I'd have to see the comment in context to figure what they mean.

The vice versa of "the pulse shape changes while the spectrum stays the same" would be

"the spectrum changes while the pulse shape stays the same"

... for the pulse shape to stay the same, in a dispersive media, the spectrum must change.
 
Simon Bridge said:
The pulse is made of traveling sine waves.
The particular mix of sine waves that go to make the pulse is it's spectrum.

In a dispersive media, the different sine waves travel at different speeds - making the pulse change shape - but the mixture is still the same because the individual sine waves go through all space.

But I'd have to see the comment in context to figure what they mean.

The vice versa of "the pulse shape changes while the spectrum stays the same" would be

"the spectrum changes while the pulse shape stays the same"

... for the pulse shape to stay the same, in a dispersive media, the spectrum must change.

You are amazing man I really want to thank you so in SPM the spectrum changes while the time pulse stays the same means. That the even though the summation of the pulses is changing the pulses traveling would stay the same?
Thank you so much I hope I understood u correctly
 
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