Vortex Nucleation in a Stirred Bose-Einstein Condensate

We studied the nucleation of vortices in a Bose-Einstein condensate stirred by a laser beam. We observed the vortex cores using time-of-flight absorption imaging. By varying the size of the stirrer, we observed either discrete resonances or a broad response as a function of the frequency of the stirrer's motion. Stirring beams small compared to the condensate size generated vortices below the critical rotation frequency for the nucleation of surface modes, suggesting a local mechanism of generation. In addition, we observed the centrifugal distortion of the condensate due to the rotating vortex lattice and found evidence for bent vortices.