  A model of soliton-defect interactions in the sine-Gordon equations is
studied using singular perturbation theory. Melnikov theory is used to derive a
critical velocity for strong interactions, which is shown to be exponentially
small for weak defects. Matched asymptotic expansions for nearly heteroclinic
orbits are constructed for the initial value problem, which are then used to
derive analytical formulas for the locations of the well known two- and
three-bounce resonance windows, as well as several other phenomena seen in
numerical simulations.

Pattern Formation and Solitons