Dissipative dynamics of a vortex state in a trapped Bose-condensed gas

TL;DR

This paper investigates how vortices in trapped Bose-Einstein condensates decay at finite temperatures, focusing on energy transfer to the thermal cloud and vortex lifetime, providing insights into experimental observation of vortex dynamics.

Contribution

It presents a detailed scenario of vortex decay due to dissipative interactions with the thermal cloud and calculates the vortex lifetime in a trapped Bose-condensed gas.

Findings

Vortex energy transfers to the thermal cloud causing decay.

Vortex core moves to the condensate border before decaying.

Calculated vortex lifetime at finite temperature.

Abstract

We discuss dissipative dynamics of a vortex state in a trapped Bose-condensed gas at finite temperature and draw a scenario of decay of this state in a static trap. The interaction of the vortex with the thermal cloud transfers energy from the vortex to the cloud and induces the motion of the vortex core to the border of the condensate. Once the vortex reaches the border, it immediately decays through the creation of excitations. We calculate the characteristic life-time of a vortex state and address the question of how the dissipative dynamics of vortices can be studied experimentally.