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  • Letter
  • Open Access

Quantum turbulence, superfluidity, non-Markovian dynamics, and wave function thermalization

Aurel Bulgac1, Matthew Kafker1, Ibrahim Abdurrahman2, and Gabriel Wlazłowski1,3

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Phys. Rev. Research 6, L042003 – Published 3 October, 2024

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.6.L042003

Abstract

While quantum turbulence has been addressed both experimentally (predominantly for superfluid He4 and He3) and theoretically, the dynamics of various ensembles of quantized vortices has been followed in time only until the vortices have decayed into phonons. How this “thermalization” is achieved is still an unaddressed and thus an unelucidated question. The unitary Fermi gas (UFG) is a unique quantum system, which has no classical counterpart and is of relevance to neutron stars, cold atoms, condensed-matter and nuclear many-body systems. The non-Markovian evolution of an isolated UFG is put in evidence and its entire nonequilibrium evolution can be studied theoretically within a unified theoretical framework. The initial lattice of quantum vortices and antivortices evolves through a couple of vortex tangles and excitation of Kelvin waves, where vortices cross and reconnect, until very slowly thermalization sets in.

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Phys. Rev. Research 6, L042003– Published 3 October, 2024
  • Received 2 June 2024
  • Accepted 4 September 2024
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Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI.

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