We study the dynamics of uniformly polarized pulses in a birefringent optical fiber. By considering the Hamiltonian structure, symmetries, and the momentum map of the underlying equations, we obtain a self-consistent set of equations for the polarization state alone. In the autonomous case, we find the bifurcation curve of this system, and discuss how the orbits change in the neighborhood of this curve. We calculate the orbits explicitly. An extension to nonautonomous underlying equations is also possible. We further briefly discuss the effect of radiation emission from solitons as their polarization state changes.

• Received 18 October 1999

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.62.4325