Robert Zillich
Institut für Theoretische Physik
[email protected]
Bachelor Thesis Topics:
Non-equilibrium Dynamics
1. Bose-Einstein condensation – dynamics of a nonlinear Schrödinger equation
A gas of bosonic atoms can condense into a macroscopic quantum state, the Bose condensate. If
interactions between atoms are not too strong, the Bose condensate is well described by a singleparticle, but nonlinear Schrödinger equation. We study the dynamics of Bose condensates. Example:
vortex formation (=quantized hydrodynamic eddies) when the condensate is rotated.
An isosurface of the density of a rotating BEC with vortices (by Rainer Kaltseis).
2. Nanofluidics – hydrodynamics at the atomic scale
A fluid in equilibrium with its environment is well described by classcal thermodynamics, its thermodynamic properties can be evaluated by various simulations techniques. A fluid in flow is obviously
not in equilibrium, but usually there is still local equilibrium. Is this assumption still valid on the
atomic scale? E.g. in microscopically small channels? This can be investigated by non-equilibrium
molecular dynamics simulations.
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MD simulation of non-stationary flow around an obstacle.
3. Quantum Many-Body Dynamics far from equilibrium
Due to interactions, calculating the ground state of quantum many-body system (e.g. electrons in
semiconductor; atoms in a quantum gas) is hard; calculating the associated excitation spectrum
is harder; predicting the dynamical behavior far away from that ground state is even harder, but
sometimes maybe not quite impossible. We try to develop methods and approximations for the study
of quantum many-body systems out of equilibrium.
Start date: February 2014.
For more information, send an email or see me in my office P207, Physikgebäude.