Mathematical Modeling and Analysis
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.