Wave turbulence and vortices in Bose--Einstein condensation (Q2500674)

The paper reports results of systematic numerical simulations of the turbulence development in the forced three-dimensional Gross-Pitaevsky equation (GPE), with the self-repulsion nonlinear term: \[ i\Psi_t +\Delta\Psi - | \Psi| ^2\Psi= \gamma(x,y,z,t), \] where the forcing \(\gamma\) was chosen to be constant in a limited range of the wavenumbers (in the Fourier space). The GPE is a fundamental dynamical model of the Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC), although the meaning of the forcing term chosen in the above form is not quite clear in terms of the BEC. The simulations reveal that the evolution of the turbulence in this model passes three stages. At the first stage, a thermodynamically equilibrium equipartition turbulence spectrum sets in at wavenumber scales below and above the forcing range, in agreement with predictions of the four-wave kinetic equation of the wave-turbulence theory. At the next stage, this spectrum breaks down, and a strongly nonlinear state emerges, in the form of a vortex gas. Subsequently, the number of vortices gradually decreases due to mutual annihilation. This stage ends with formation of a nearly uniform phase-coherent condensate. The final stage features weak turbulence of acoustic waves propagating in the condensate. The acoustic turbulence is dominated by three-wave interactions.