Dynamic instability of a rotating Bose-Einstein condensate

We consider a Bose-Einstein condensate subject to a rotating harmonic potential, in connection with recent experiments leading to the formation of vortices. We use the classical hydrodynamic approximation to the nonlinear Schrödinger equation to determine almost analytically the evolution of the con...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inPhysical review letters Vol. 87; no. 19; p. 190402
Main Authors Sinha, S, Castin, Y
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 05.11.2001
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ISSN0031-9007
DOI10.1103/PhysRevLett.87.190402

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Summary:We consider a Bose-Einstein condensate subject to a rotating harmonic potential, in connection with recent experiments leading to the formation of vortices. We use the classical hydrodynamic approximation to the nonlinear Schrödinger equation to determine almost analytically the evolution of the condensate. We predict that this evolution can exhibit dynamical instabilities, for the stirring procedure previously demonstrated at ENS and for a new stirring procedure that we put forward. These instabilities take place within the range of stirring frequency and amplitude for which vortices are produced experimentally. They provide therefore an initiating mechanism for vortex nucleation.
ISSN:0031-9007
DOI:10.1103/PhysRevLett.87.190402