T-5 HomeResearchPublications › sasik-2000-thermal

### Cite Details

R. Sasik, Luis M. A. Bettencourt and Salman Habib, "Thermal vortex dynamics in a two dimensional condensate", Physical Review B, vol. 62, pp. 1238-1243, 2000

### Abstract

We carry out an analytical and numerical study of the motion of an isolated vortex in thermal equilibrium, the vortex being defined as the point singularity of a complex scalar field $\phi(r,t)$ obeying a nonlinear stochastic Schroedinger equation. Because hydrodynamic fluctuations are included in this description, the dynamical picture of the vortex emerges as that of both a massive particle in contact with a heat bath, and as a passive scalar advected to a background random flow. We show that the vortex does not execute a simple random walk and that the probability distribution of vortex flights has non-Gaussian (exponential) tails.

### BibTeX Entry

@article{sasik-2000-thermal,
author = {R. Sasik and Luis M. A. Bettencourt and Salman Habib},
title = {Thermal vortex dynamics in a two dimensional condensate},
year = {2000},
journal = {Physical Review B},
volume = {62},
pages = {1238-1243}
}