Theoretical evaluation of vortices generated in an atomic superfluid

• Grant number: 09/11098-6
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Visiting Researcher Grant - International
• Start date: March 25, 2011
• End date: April 12, 2011
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Physics - Atomic and Molecular Physics
• Principal Investigator: Vanderlei Salvador Bagnato
• Grantee: Vanderlei Salvador Bagnato
• Visiting researcher: Alexander L. Fetter
• Visiting researcher institution: Stanford University, United States
• Host Institution: Instituto de Física de São Carlos (IFSC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 98/14270-8 - Center for Optical and Photonics Science, AP.CEPID

Abstract

Our laboratory has achieved the first (and the only one) Bose-Einstein Condensate in Latina America. Nowadays, we are starting a series of innovative experiments in this area. Production of vortices states, tangled vortices, excitation of topological coherent modes, finite temperature effects, among others, are some of the studies we are developing in our laboratory now. Recently, one of our works (Emergence of Turbulence in an Oscillating Bose-Einstein Condensate, Phys. Rev. Letters 103, 045301 (2009)) has created new possibilities of studies. The visit of Dr. A. Fetter, a recognized specialist on the area of studying vortices in superfluids, will concentrate his attention on the discussion of experimental data that involves the formation of vortices when perturbatives oscillatory fields are presents in a sample of atomic superfluid. Another problem that will be treated is the proliferation of vortices and its evolution on an atomic superfluid and analyzing the present turbulent state we have obtained. Our results give important evidences of the formation of tangled vortices in a superfluid when an excitation, in more then one dimension, is applied in the sample. Besides this important scientific collaboration, we hope the visitor could give a series of seminars for all our community (AU)