Decay of bound states in a sine-Gordon equation with double-well potentials

<jats:p>We consider a spatially inhomogeneous sine-Gordon equation with a double-well potential, describing long Josephson junctions with phase-shifts. We discuss the interactions of symmetric and antisymmetric bound states in the system. Using a multiple scale expansion, we show that the modes decay algebraically in time due to the energy transfer from the discrete to the continuous spectrum. In particular, exciting the two modes at the same time yields an increased decay rate. An external time-periodic drive is shown to sustain symmetric state, while it damps the antisymmetric one.</jats:p>