For a one-dimensional dispersive medium the linear momentum of a phonon is discussed in both the Lagrangian and the Eulerian picture, i.e. with the use of substantial (material) and local coordinates, respectively. As phonons are usually considered as solutions of the linearized equations of motion, in the Eulerian picture the linear momentum of a phonon is only defined up to linear terms in the fields. To obtain results relevant towards higher order in the fields, one has to solve the nonlinear equations of motion. This is done to obtain expressions for the linear momentum up to terms quadratic in the fields.
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