Suppression of Kelvon-induced decay of quantized vortices in oblate Bose-Einstein Condensates

We study the Kelvin mode excitations on a vortex line in a three-dimensional trapped Bose-Einstein condensate at finite temperature. Our stochastic Gross-Pitaevskii simulations show that the activation of these modes can be suppressed by tightening the confinement along the direction of the vortex line, leading to a strong suppression in the vortex decay rate as the system enters a regime of two-dimensional vortex dynamics. As the system approaches the condensation transition temperature we find that the vortex decay rate is strongly sensitive to dimensionality and temperature, observing a large enhancement for quasi-two-dimensional traps. Three-dimensional simulations of the recent vortex dipole decay experiment of Neely et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 104, 160401 (2010)] confirm two-dimensional vortex dynamics, and predict a dipole lifetime consistent with experimental observations and suppression of Kelvon-induced vortex decay in highly oblate condensates.Comment: 8 pages, 8 figure

Kelvin Wave Cascade and Decay of Superfluid Turbulence

Kelvin waves (kelvons)--the distortion waves on vortex lines--play a key part in the relaxation of superfluid turbulence at low temperatures. We present a weak-turbulence theory of kelvons. We show that non-trivial kinetics arises only beyond the local-induction approximation and is governed by three-kelvon collisions; corresponding kinetic equation is derived. On the basis of the kinetic equation, we prove the existence of Kolmogorov cascade and find its spectrum. The qualitative analysis is corroborated by numeric study of the kinetic equation. The application of the results to the theory of superfluid turbulence is discussed.Comment: 4 pages, RevTe

Herschel observations of EXtra-Ordinary Sources (HEXOS): Methanol as a probe of physical conditions in Orion KL

We have examined methanol emission from Orion KL withthe Herschel/HIFI instrument, and detected two methanol bands centered at 524 GHz and 1061 GHz. The 524 GHz methanol band (observed in HIFI band 1a) is dominated by the isolated ΔJ = 0, K = −4 → −3, v_t = 0 Q branch, and includes 25 E-type and 2 A-type transitions. The 1061 GHz methanol band (observed in HIFI band 4b) is dominated by the ΔJ = 0, K = 7 → 6, v_t = 0 Q branch transitions which are mostly blended. We have used the isolated E-type v_t = 0 methanol transitions to explore the physical conditions in the molecular gas. With HIFI’s high velocity resolution, the methanol emission contributed by different spatial components along the line of sight toward Orion KL (hot core, low velocity flow, and compact ridge) can be distinguished and studied separately. The isolated transitions detected in these bands cover a broad energy range (upper state energy ranging from 80 K to 900 K), which provides a unique probe of the thermal structure in each spatial component. The observations further show that the compact ridge is externally heated. These observations demonstrate the power of methanol lines as probes of the physical conditions in warm regions in close proximity to young stars

Numerical Modeling of Transient Wave Propagation for High Frequency NDT

Electromagnetic nondestructive testing (NDT) methods use frequencies ranging from low (dc) to high (microwave) frequencies [1]. Applications of numerical methods to model two- and three-dimensional low-frequency (dc or eddy current) nondestructive testing phenomena, where displacement currents can be omitted, were extensively examined, [2,3]. These are all interior boundary value problems. Finite element study of ultrasonic wave propagation and scattering in metals, which is again an interior boundary value problem, was recently reported in [4]. However, modeling of wave propagation for high-frequency NDT problems have not yet been attempted. Recently, finite difference methods in time domain have been successfully applied to solve transient electromagnetic wave propagation problems over the atmosphere and the ground [5], and time-dependent eddy current problems [6]. The method used here is a generalization of this work and is designed for numerical modeling of high-frequency electromagnetic wave propagation arising from nondestructive testing applications. The physical situation includes examination of the scattering effects by cracks inside a piece of material (especially dielectrics) or due to surface variations when the material is illuminated by a TM plane wave. This leads to an interface type problem

Nonsingular, big-bounce cosmology from spinor-torsion coupling

The Einstein-Cartan-Sciama-Kibble theory of gravity removes the constraint of general relativity that the affine connection be symmetric by regarding its antisymmetric part, the torsion tensor, as a dynamical variable. The minimal coupling between the torsion tensor and Dirac spinors generates a spin-spin interaction which is significant in fermionic matter at extremely high densities. We show that such an interaction averts the unphysical big-bang singularity, replacing it with a cusp-like bounce at a finite minimum scale factor, before which the Universe was contracting. This scenario also explains why the present Universe at largest scales appears spatially flat, homogeneous and isotropic.Comment: 7 pages; published versio

Plane shearing waves of arbitrary form: exact solutions of the Navier-Stokes equations

We present exact solutions of the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations in a background linear shear flow. The method of construction is based on Kelvin's investigations into linearized disturbances in an unbounded Couette flow. We obtain explicit formulae for all three components of a Kelvin mode in terms of elementary functions. We then prove that Kelvin modes with parallel (though time-dependent) wave vectors can be superposed to construct the most general plane transverse shearing wave. An explicit solution is given, with any specified initial orientation, profile and polarization structure, with either unbounded or shear-periodic boundary conditions.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures; version published in the European Physical Journal Plu

The effect of pressure on statics, dynamics and stability of multielectron bubbles

The effect of pressure and negative pressure on the modes of oscillation of a multi-electron bubble in liquid helium is calculated. Already at low pressures of the order of 10-100 mbar, these effects are found to significantly modify the frequencies of oscillation of the bubble. Stabilization of the bubble is shown to occur in the presence of a small negative pressure, which expands the bubble radius. Above a threshold negative pressure, the bubble is unstable.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, accepted for publication in Physical Review Letter

Herschel observations of EXtra-Ordinary Sources (HEXOS): The present and future of spectral surveys with Herschel/HIFI

We present initial results from the Herschel GT key program: Herschel observations of EXtra-Ordinary Sources (HEXOS) and outline the promise and potential of spectral surveys with Herschel/HIFI. The HIFI instrument offers unprecedented sensitivity, as well as continuous spectral coverage across the gaps imposed by the atmosphere, opening up a largely unexplored wavelength regime to high-resolution spectroscopy. We show the spectrum of Orion KL between 480 and 560 GHz and from 1.06 to 1.115 THz. From these data, we confirm that HIFI separately measures the dust continuum and spectrally resolves emission lines in Orion KL. Based on this capability we demonstrate that the line contribution to the broad-band continuum in this molecule-rich source is ~20−40% below 1 THz and declines to a few percent at higher frequencies. We also tentatively identify multiple transitions of HD^(18)O in the spectra. The first detection of this rare isotopologue in the interstellar medium suggests that HDO emission is optically thick in the Orion hot core with HDO/H_2O ~ 0.02. We discuss the implications of this detection for the water D/H ratio in hot cores