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arXiv:cond-mat/9612111 · Physical Review Letters

Magnus and Iordanskii Forces in Superfluids

Carlos Wexler

Published Aug 18, 1997• 43 citations
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Abstract

The transverse force acting on a quantized vortex in a superfluid is a problem that has eluded a complete understanding for more than three decades. In this Letter I calculate the superfluid velocity part of the transverse force in a way closely related to Laughlin's argument for the quantization of conductance in the quantum Hall effect. A combination of this result, the vortex velocity part of the transverse force found by Thouless, Ao, and Niu [Phys. Rev. Lett. 76, 3758 (1996)], and Galilean invariance shows that there cannot be a transverse force proportional to the normal fluid velocity.

DOI
10.1103/physrevlett.79.1321

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Comment on “Transverse Force on a Quantized Vortex in a Superfluid”

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The result of Thouless, Ao and Niu (TAN), that the mutual friction parameter $d_\perp =0$, contradicts to the experiments made in rotating 3He-B by Manchester group. The Manchester group observed that $d_\perp <0$ at low temperature and approaches 1 at high temperature. The reason of the contradiction is that TAN did not take into account the Iordanskii force on the vortex and the spectral flow force, which comes from the anomaly related to the low-energy bound states of fermions in cores of quantized vortices. The Iordanskii force is responsible for the negative $d_\perp <0$ at low temperature, while due to the spectral flow $d_\perp$ approaches 1 at high temperature. Relation of the spectral flow anomaly with the paradoxes of the linear and angular momenta in gapless superfluids is discussed.

arXiv:cond-mat/9606210•Physical Review Letters•Nov 25, 1996•17 citations
The transverse force acting on a quantized vortex in a superfluid is a problem that has eluded a complete understanding for more than three decades. In this Letter I calculate the superfluid velocity part of the transverse force in a way closely related to Laughlin's argument for the quantization of conductance in the quantum Hall effect. A combination of this result, the vortex velocity part of the transverse force found by Thouless, Ao, and Niu [Phys. Rev. Lett. 76, 3758 (1996)], and Galilean invariance shows that there cannot be a transverse force proportional to the normal fluid velocity.
The forces on the vortex, transverse to its velocity, are considered. In addition to the superfluid Magnus force from the condensate (superfluid component), there are transverse forces from thermal quasiparticles and external fields violating the Galilean invariance. The forces between quasiparticles and the vortex originate from interference of quasiparticles with trajectories on the left and on the right from the vortex like similar forces for electrons interacting with the thin magnetic-flux tube (the Aharonov-Bohm effect). These forces are derived for phonons from the equations of superfluid hydrodynamics, and for BCS quasiparticles from the Bogolyubov--de Gennes equations. The effect of external fields breaking Galilean invariance is analyzed for vortices in the two-dimensional Josephson junction array. The symmetry analysis of the classical equations for the array shows that the total transverse force on the vortex vanishes. Therefore the Hall effect which is linear in the transverse force is absent also. This means that the Magnus force from the superfluid component exactly cancels with the transverse force from the external fields. The results of other approaches are also brought together for discussion.
The transverse force on an isolated and moving vortex in a neutral superfluid at rest is evaluated at finite temperature in the case of noninteracting phonons. Using the Thouless, Ao, Niu (TAN) [Phys. Rev. Lett. 76, 3758 (1996)] general theory, we show that the transverse force is exactly equal to the superfluid Magnus force. We extend this theory in the case of a slowly moving vortex on a circular trajectory, and find an additional contribution coming from the centrifugal reaction. This term gives a negative vortex mass due to the phonons and diverges logarithmically at low frequency. The friction force is also evaluated for zero and finite frequencies, and compared with the scattering theory.
The paper derives the transverse forces (the Magnus and the Lorentz forces) in the lattice models of superfluids in the continuous approximation. The continuous approximation restores translational invariance absent in the original lattice model, but the theory is not Galilean invariant. As a result, calculation of the two transverse forces on the vortex, Magnus force and Lorentz force, requires the analysis of two balances, for the true momentum of particles in the lattice (Magnus force) and for the quasimomentum (Lorentz force) known from the Bloch theory of particles in the periodic potential. While the developed theory yields the same Lorentz force, which was well known before, a new general expression for the Magnus force was obtained. The theory demonstrates how a small Magnus force emerges in the Josephson-junction array if the particle-hole symmetry is broken. The continuous approximation for the Bose-Hubbard model close to the superfluid-insulator transition was developed, which was used for calculation of the Magnus force. The theory shows that there is an area in the phase diagram for the Bose-Hubbard model, where the Magnus force has an inverse sign with respect to that which is expected from the sign of velocity circulation.
We have derived an exact expression for the total nondissipative transverse force acting on a quantized vortex moving in a uniform background. The derivation is valid for neutral boson or fermion superfluids, provided the order parameter is a complex scalar quantity. This force is determined by the one-particle density matrix far away from the vortex core, and is found to be the Magnus force proportional to the superfluid density. We conclude that contributions of the localized core states do not change this force.
The result of Thouless, Ao and Niu (TAN), that the mutual friction parameter d⊥=0d_\perp =0d⊥​=0, contradicts to the experiments made in rotating 3He-B by Manchester group. The Manchester group observed that d⊥<0d_\perp <0d⊥​<0 at low temperature and approaches 1 at high temperature. The reason of the contradiction is that TAN did not take into account the Iordanskii force on the vortex and the spectral flow force, which comes from the anomaly related to the low-energy bound states of fermions in cores of quantized vortices. The Iordanskii force is responsible for the negative d⊥<0d_\perp <0d⊥​<0 at low temperature, while due to the spectral flow d⊥d_\perpd⊥​ approaches 1 at high temperature. Relation of the spectral flow anomaly with the paradoxes of the linear and angular momenta in gapless superfluids is discussed.