Probing the classical field approximation-thermodynamics and decaying vortices

Harry Schmidt, Krzysztof Góra, Filip Floegel, Mariusz Gajda and Kazimierz Rzazewski

We review our version of the classical field approximation to the dynamics of a finite-temperature Bose gas. In the case of a periodic box potential, we investigate the role of the high-momentum cut-off, essential in the method. In particular, we show that the cut-off going to the infinity limit describes the particle number going to infinity with the scattering length going to zero. In this weak-interaction limit, the relative population of the condensate tends to unity. We also show that the cross-over energy, at which the probability distribution of the condensate occupation changes its character, grows with a growing scattering length. In the more physical case of the condensate in the harmonic trap we investigate the dissipative dynamics of a vortex. We compare the decay time and the velocities of the vortex with the available analytic estimates.

J. Opt. B: Quantum Semiclass. Opt. vol. 5, S1-S7 (2003)