$\bar{\partial}$-problem for focusing nonlinear Schrödinger equation and soliton shielding

Abstract: We consider soliton gas solutions of the Focusing Nonlinear Schr\"odinger (NLS) equation, where the point spectrum of the Zakharov-Shabat linear operator condensate in a bounded domain $\mathcal{D}$ in the upper half-plane. We show that the corresponding inverse scattering problem can be formulated as a $\overline{\partial}$-problem on the domain. We prove the existence of the solution of this $\overline{\partial}$-problem by showing that the $\tau$-function of the problem (a Fredholm determinant) does not vanish. We then represent the solution of the NLS equation via the $\tau$ of the $\overline{\partial}$- problem. Finally we show that, when the domain $\mathcal{D}$ is an ellipse and the density of solitons is analytic, the initial datum of the Cauchy problem is asymptotically step-like oscillatory, and it is described by a periodic elliptic function as $x \to - \infty$ while it vanishes exponentially fast as $x \to +\infty$.