Publications by authors named "Davide Proment"

One-dimensional particle chains are fundamental models to explain anomalous thermal conduction in low-dimensional solids such as nanotubes and nanowires. In these systems the thermal energy is carried by phonons, i.e.

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We statistically study vortex reconnections in quantum fluids by evolving different realizations of vortex Hopf links using the Gross-Pitaevskii model. Despite the time reversibility of the model, we report clear evidence that the dynamics of the reconnection process is time irreversible, as reconnecting vortices tend to separate faster than they approach. Thanks to a matching theory devised concurrently by Proment and Krstulovic [Phys.

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Commonly, thermal transport properties of one-dimensional systems are found to be anomalous. Here, we perform a numerical and theoretical study of the β-Fermi-Pasta-Ulam-Tsingou chain, considered a prototypical model for one-dimensional anharmonic crystals, in contact with thermostats at different temperatures. We give evidence that, in steady state conditions, the local wave energy spectrum can be naturally split into modes that are essentially ballistic (noninteracting or scarcely interacting) and kinetic modes (interacting enough to relax to local thermodynamic equilibrium).

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We investigate superfluid flow around an airfoil accelerated to a finite velocity from rest. Using simulations of the Gross-Pitaevskii equation we find striking similarities to viscous flows: from production of starting vortices to convergence of airfoil circulation onto a quantized version of the Kutta-Joukowski circulation. We predict the number of quantized vortices nucleated by a given foil via a phenomenological argument.

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The development and decay of a turbulent vortex tangle driven by the Gross-Pitaevskii equation is studied. Using a recently developed accurate and robust tracking algorithm, all quantized vortices are extracted from the fields. The Vinen's decay law for the total vortex length with a coefficient that is in quantitative agreement with the values measured in helium II is observed.

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We study the original α-Fermi-Pasta-Ulam (FPU) system with N = 16, 32, and 64 masses connected by a nonlinear quadratic spring. Our approach is based on resonant wave-wave interaction theory; i.e.

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The conjecture that helicity (or knottedness) is a fundamental conserved quantity has a rich history in fluid mechanics, but the nature of this conservation in the presence of dissipation has proven difficult to resolve. Making use of recent advances, we create vortex knots and links in viscous fluids and simulated superfluids and track their geometry through topology-changing reconnections. We find that the reassociation of vortex lines through a reconnection enables the transfer of helicity from links and knots to helical coils.

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Under suitable assumptions, the nonlinear dynamics of surface gravity waves can be modeled by the one-dimensional nonlinear Schrödinger equation. Besides traveling wave solutions like solitons, this model admits also breather solutions that are now considered as prototypes of rogue waves in ocean. We propose a novel technique to study the interaction between waves and ships/structures during extreme ocean conditions using such breather solutions.

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We present a method for numerically building a vortex knot state in the superfluid wave function of a Bose-Einstein condensate. We integrate in time the governing Gross-Pitaevskii equation to determine evolution and shape preservation of the two (topologically) simplest vortex knots which can be wrapped over a torus. We find that the velocity of a vortex knot depends on the ratio of poloidal and toroidal radius: for smaller ratio, the knot travels faster.

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We show that rogue waves can be triggered naturally when a stable wave train enters a region of an opposing current flow. We demonstrate that the maximum amplitude of the rogue wave depends on the ratio between the current velocity U(0) and the wave group velocity c(g). We also reveal that an opposing current can force the development of rogue waves in random wave fields, resulting in a substantial change of the statistical properties of the surface elevation.

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