Vortex dynamics of the nonlinear wave equation (Q917126)

Let \(\psi\) (x) be a complex scalar field defined for x in \(2+1-D\) Minkowski space M. It satisfies the nonlinear wave equation (NLWE) \[ \square \psi -(1-| \psi |^ 2)\psi =0. \] Here \(\square\) denotes the wave operator, which is \(\partial_ i\partial^ i=\partial_{00}- \partial_{11}-\partial_{22}\) in Cartesian spacetime coordinates \((x^ 0,x^ 1,x^ 2)\). The author studies the solutions which contain time-like world lines of zeros, with winding numbers \(+1\) or -1. These particle-like defects of the \(\psi\)-field are called vortices. The author formulates an asymptotic ``particle \(+\) field'' vortex dynamics which derives from the NLWE. It is analogous to particle \(+\) field electromagnetics in \(2+1-D.\) In the last section the paper concludes with the actual derivation of the asymptotic particle \(+\) field equations from the NLWE.