Quantum fluids such as superconductors and Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) can contain tornado-like vortices that don't go away with time. In the 26 November Physical Review Letters, Australian theorists show how to controllably make arrays of vortices and more complex structures. Since the flow patterns in these fluids are governed by simple mathematical rules that apply to other, very different physical systems, lab versions could give insight into analogous structures in magnetic materials, particle physics, or cosmology.
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