The Sasa-Satsuma Equation on a Non-Zero Background: The Inverse Scattering Transform and Multi-Soliton Solutions

We concentrate on the inverse scattering transformation for the Sasa-Satsuma equation with 3 x 3 matrix spectrum problem and a nonzero boundary condition. To circumvent the multi-value of eigenvalues, we introduce a suitable two-sheet Riemann surface to map the original spectral parameter k into a single-valued parameter z. The analyticity of the Jost eigenfunctions and scattering coefficients of the Lax pair for the Sasa-Satsuma equation are analyzed in detail. According to the analyticity of the eigenfunctions and the scattering coefficients, the z-complex plane is divided into four analytic regions of D-j: j = 1, 2, 3, 4. Since the second column of Jost eigenfunctions is analytic in D-j, but in the upper-half or lower-half plane, we introduce certain auxiliary eigenfunctions which are necessary for deriving the analytic eigenfunctions in D-j. We find that the eigenfunctions, the scattering coefficients and the auxiliary eigenfunctions all possess three kinds of symmetries; these characterize the distribution of the discrete spectrum. The asymptotic behaviors of eigenfunctions, auxiliary eigenfunctions and scattering coefficients are also systematically derived. Then a matrix Riemann-Hilbert problem with four kinds of jump conditions associated with the problem of nonzero asymptotic boundary conditions is established, from this N-soliton solutions are obtained via the corresponding reconstruction formulae. The reflectionless soliton solutions are explicitly given. As an application of the N-soliton formula, we present three kinds of single-soliton solutions according to the distribution of discrete spectrum.