Lattice Boltzmann simulations of a two-dimensional Fermi gas at unitarity

TL;DR

This paper uses Lattice Boltzmann simulations to model a 2D Fermi gas at unitarity, capturing complex behaviors and enabling direct comparison with experiments to determine transport properties.

Contribution

It introduces a novel simulation approach for 2D Fermi gases at unitarity, including non-harmonic traps and temperature-dependent viscosities, facilitating experimental validation.

Findings

Simulation of non-harmonic trapping potentials

Prediction of a non-hydrodynamic quadrupole mode

Potential for precision measurement of transport coefficients

Abstract

We present fully nonlinear dissipative fluid dynamics simulations of a trapped two-dimensional Fermi gas at unitarity using a Lattice Boltzmann algorithm. We are able to simulate non-harmonic trapping potentials, temperature-dependent viscosities as well as a discretized version of the ballistic (non-interacting) behavior. Our approach lends itself to direct comparison with experimental data, opening up the possibility of a precision determination of transport coefficients in the unitary Fermi gas. Furthermore, we predict the presence of a non-hydrodynamic component in the quadrupole mode, which should be observable experimentally.