Stability bands for moving solitons in uniform and inhomogeneous damped ac-driven circular Toda lattices

By means of systematic simulations, we study the motion of discrete solitons in weakly dissipative Toda lattices (TLs) with periodic boundary conditions, resonantly driven by a spatially staggered time-periodic (ac) force. A complex set of alternating stability bands and instability gaps, including scattered isolated stability points, is revealed in the parametric plane of the soliton's velocity and forcing amplitude for a given size of the circular lattice. The analysis is also reported for the circular TL including a single light- or heavymass defect. The stability chart as a whole shrinks and eventually disappears with the increase of the lattice's size and strength of the mass defect. Qualitative explanations to these findings are proposed. We also report the dependence of the stability area on the initial position of the soliton, finding that the area is largest for some intersite position. For a pair of solitons traveling in opposite directions, there exist regimes where both solitons survive periodic collisions in small-size lattices.