Braiding and Fusion of Non-Abelian Vortex Anyons.

We have studied topology and dynamics of quantum vortices in spin-2 Bose-Einstein condensates. By computationally modeling controllable braiding and fusion of these vortices, we have demonstrated that certain vortices in such spinor condensates behave as non-Abelian anyons. We identify these anyons as fluxon, chargeon, and dyon quasiparticles. The pertinent anyon models are defined by the quantum double of the underlying discrete non-Abelian symmetry group of the condensate ground state order parameter.

Vortex gyroscope imaging of planar superfluids.

We propose a robust imaging technique that makes it possible to distinguish vortices from antivortices in quasi-two-dimensional Bose-Einstein condensates from a single image of the density of the atoms. Tilting the planar condensate prior to standard absorption imaging excites a generalized gyroscopic mode of the condensate, revealing the sign and location of each vortex. This technique is anticipated to enable experimental measurement of the incompressible kinetic energy spectrum of the condensate and the observation of a negative-temperature phase transition of the vortex gas, driven by two-dimensional superfluid turbulence.

Electron vortex production and control using aberration induced diffraction catastrophes.

An aberration corrected electron microscope is used to create electron diffraction catastrophes, containing arrays of intensity zeros threading vortex cores. Vortices are ascribed to these arrays using catastrophe theory, scalar diffraction integrals, and experimentally retrieved phase maps. From measured wave function phases, obtained using focal-series phase retrieval, the orbital angular momentum density is mapped for highly astigmatic electron probes. We observe vortex rings and topological reconnections of nodal lines by tracking the vortex cores using the retrieved phases.

Kelvin waves of quantized vortex lines in trapped Bose-Einstein condensates.

We have theoretically investigated Kelvin waves of quantized vortex lines in trapped Bose-Einstein condensates. Counterrotating perturbation induces an elliptical instability to the initially straight vortex line, driven by a parametric resonance between a quadrupole mode and a pair of Kelvin modes of opposite momenta. Subsequently, Kelvin waves rapidly decay to longer wavelengths emitting sound waves in the process. We present a modified Kelvin wave dispersion relation for trapped superfluids and propose a simple method to excite Kelvin waves of specific wave number.

Thermal activation of vortex-antivortex pairs in quasi-two-dimensional Bose-Einstein condensates.

Here we show, by performing ab initio classical field simulations that two distinct superfluid phases, separated by thermal vortex-antivortex pair creation, exist in experimentally producible quasi-2D Bose gas. These results resolve the debate on the nature of the low temperature phase(s) of a trapped interacting 2D Bose gas.

Observations on sound propagation in rapidly rotating Bose-Einstein condensates.

Repulsive laser potential pulses applied to vortex lattices of rapidly rotating Bose-Einstein condensates create propagating density waves which we have observed experimentally and modeled computationally to high accuracy. We have observed a rich variety of dynamical phenomena ranging from interference effects and shock-wave formation to anisotropic sound propagation.

Adiabaticity criterion for moving vortices in dilute Bose-Einstein condensates.

Considering a moving vortex line in a dilute atomic Bose-Einstein condensate within time-dependent Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov-Popov theory, we derive a criterion for the quasiparticle excitations to follow the vortex core rigidly. The assumption of adiabaticity, which is crucial for the validity of the stationary self-consistent theories in describing such time-dependent phenomena, is shown to imply a stringent criterion for the velocity of the vortex line. Furthermore, this condition is shown to be violated in the recent vortex precession experiments.

Human glutathione S-transferase-expressing Salmonella typhimurium tester strains to study the activation/detoxification of mutagenic compounds: studies with halogenated compounds, aromatic amines and aflatoxin B1.

We have developed Salmonella typhimurium strains expressing human glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) to establish the role of these enzymes in chemical activation and deactivation. Alpha and pi class GSTs, GSTA1-1 and GSTP1-1, were expressed in Salmonella TA100 using a regulatable tac promoter expression system. The ability of these GST to modulate the mutagenicity of a range of mutagens including ethylene dibromide, ethylene dichloride and methylene dichloride was then investigated. Ethylene dibromide, ethylene dichloride and methylene dichloride were directly mutagenic in the control TA100 strain. The mutagenicity of ethylene dibromide and ethylene dichloride was increased in cells expressing GSTA1-1, but not in cells expressing GSTP1-1. In contrast, methylene dichloride mutagenicity was unaffected by the presence of either GST. The mutagenicity of 2-aminofluorene, was not altered by the presence of either GST isozyme, while that of N-hydroxy-2-acetylaminofluorene was slightly reduced with both isozymes. The mutagenicity of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) was marginally decreased in strains expressing GSTP1-1. When GSTA1-1 expression was maximally induced, however, a more pronounced reduction was observed suggesting a role for GSTA1-1 in AFB1 deactivation. The tester strains described here should be valuable in establishing the specificity of human GST isozymes towards chemical toxins and carcinogens, especially for compounds whose reactive intermediates are short lived.

Giant vortex lattice deformations in rapidly rotating bose-einstein condensates.

We have performed numerical simulations of giant vortex structures in rapidly rotating Bose-Einstein condensates within the Gross-Pitaevskii formalism. We reproduce the qualitative features, such as oscillation of the giant vortex core area, formation of toroidal density hole, and the precession of giant vortices, observed in the recent experiment [Phys. Rev. Lett., ()]]. We provide a mechanism which quantitatively explains the observed core oscillation phenomenon. We demonstrate the clear distinction between the mechanism of atom removal and a repulsive pinning potential in creating giant vortices. In addition, we have been able to simulate the transverse Tkachenko vortex lattice vibrations.

Structure and stability of vortices in dilute Bose-Einstein condensates at ultralow temperatures.

We compute the structure of a quantized vortex line in a harmonically trapped dilute atomic Bose-Einstein condensate using the Popov version of the Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov mean-field theory. The vortex is shown to be (meta)stable in a nonrotating trap even in the zero-temperature limit, thus confirming that weak particle interactions induce for the condensed gas a fundamental property characterizing "classical" superfluids. We present the structure of the vortex at ultralow temperatures and discuss the crucial effect of the thermal gas component to its energetic stability.

Increased mutagenicity of 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane and tris(2,3-dibromopropyl)phosphate in Salmonella TA100 expressing human glutathione S-transferases.

We have expressed human glutathione S-transferases GSTA1-1 and GSTP1-1 in Salmonella typhimurium TA100 in order to assess the ability of these enzymes to modulate the mutagenicity of 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP) and tris(2,3-dibromopropyl)phosphate (Tris-BP). Both compounds were mutagenic when activated by Aroclor-induced rat liver microsomes. However, when Aroclor-induced rat liver microsomes were used together with the GST-expressing strains the mutagenicity of both DBCP and Tris-BP was markedly potentiated. Neither of the GST-expressing strains potentiated the mutagenicity in the absence of microsomes, indicating that cytochrome P450-mediated metabolism was a prerequisite for GST-mediated potentiation. With DBCP both isozymes had comparable effects on mutagenic frequency, although the highest dose of DBCP was toxic in strains expressing GSTP1-1. In the case of Tris-BP, GSTP1-1 was much more active in potentiating the mutagenicity. These results indicate that human GSTs can play an important role in the activation of compounds such as DBCP and Tris-BP to mutagenic metabolites.