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2 - Vortex transformations and vortex dynamics in optical fields

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 December 2012

By
G. Molina-Terriza
Edited by
David L. Andrews  and
Mohamed Babiker
G. Molina-Terriza
Affiliation:
Macquarie University
David L. Andrews
Affiliation:
University of East Anglia
Mohamed Babiker
Affiliation:
University of York
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Summary

Introduction

Vortices and vorticity are common objects of study in the field of fluid dynamics [1]. In a fluid, vortices appear as spinning, often turbulent, flows, giving rise to common phenomena such as tornadoes and whirlpools. In their more discreet manifestations, fluid vortices are thought to be responsible for the destruction of bridges due to the formation of vortex streets and structural resonance [2] and for the flight of insects [3], ending a long debate in the community about the reversibility of the movement of insect wings. Because of the importance of all those natural phenomena, the study of vortex dynamics and the creation and annihilation of hydrodynamical vortices is a matter of intense study.

When the first properties of superfluids were found, the question of whether vortices could appear in such irrotational fluids was addressed by prominent scientists [4, 5]. It was found that vortices could also appear in such systems, but they could only appear as point vortices, i.e. singular locations where the vorticity of the fluid was infinite, whereas everywhere else the vorticity was strictly zero. This property was also found later on in Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs), where the quest for exciting and controlling the point vortices of quantum systems is still a hot topic. The dynamics of and processes related to the birth and destruction of vortex-antivortex pairs play an important role in the physics of these exotic systems.

Type
Chapter
Information
The Angular Momentum of Light , pp. 31 - 50
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2012

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References

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