Non-local features of a hydrodynamic pilot-wave system

ORAL

Abstract

A droplet walking on the surface of a vibrating fluid bath constitutes a pilot-wave system of the form envisaged for quantum dynamics by Louis de Broglie: a particle moves in resonance with its guiding wave field. We here present an examination of pilot-wave hydrodynamics in a confined domain. Specifically, we present a one-dimensional water wave model that describes droplets walking in single and multiple cavities. The cavities are separated by a submerged barrier, and so allow for the study of tunneling. They also highlight the non-local dynamical features arising due to the spatially-extended wave field. Results from computational simulations are complemented by laboratory experiments.

Authors

  • Andre Nachbin

    IMPA/Brazil

  • Miles Couchman

    Department of Mathematics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Math. Dept./MIT

  • John Bush

    Math. Dept./MIT