Condensation and vortex formation in a Bose gas upon cooling

Abstract

The mechanism for the transition of a Bose gas to the superfluid state via thermal fluctuations is considered. It is shown that in the process of external cooling some critical fluctuations ͑instantons͒ are formed above the critical temperature. The probability of the instanton formation is calculated in the three-and two-dimensional cases. It is found that this probability increases as the system approaches the transition temperature. It is shown that the evolution of an individual instanton is impossible without the formation of vortices in its superfluid part.