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Interactions and reconnections of four-dimensional quantum vortices

H. A. J. Middleton-Spencer1,*, B. McCanna2, D. Proment3,4, and H. M. Price1

  • *Contact author: h.a.j.middleton-spencer@bham.ac.uk
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Phys. Rev. Fluids 11, 084701 – Published 31 August, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/nmz7-7ym2

Abstract

Interactions and reconnections of vortices are fundamental in many areas of physics, including classical and quantum fluids where they are central to understanding phenomena such as turbulence. In three-dimensional (3D) superfluids, quantum vortices are one-dimensional filaments that can intersect, reconnect, and recoil with irreversible dynamics described by near-universal scaling laws. We explore quantum-vortex reconnections in a four-dimensional superfluid, where a vortex is a two-dimensional surface. Using real-time numerical simulations, we find much richer behavior than in 3D, including stable intersecting vortex surfaces which do not reconnect, and unusual vortex reconnections which occur without significant energy dissipation, which may indicate quasireversible dynamics. Our work raises many interesting questions about vortex physics in extradimensional systems and may be further extended to look at vortex dynamics and turbulence in higher-dimensional spaces.

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Phys. Rev. Fluids 11, 084701– Published 31 August, 2026
  • Received 4 December 2024
  • Accepted 13 July 2026
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