EFFECTIVE THEORY OF BOSONIC SUPERFLUIDS

Abstract

We discuss the effective theory of a bosonic superfluid whose microscopic behavior is described by a nonrelativistic, weak-coupling Φ4 theory in the phase with broken particle number symmetry, both at zero temperature and in the vicinity of the phase transition. In the zero-temperature regime, the theory is governed by the gapless Goldstone mode resulting from the broken .symmetry. Although this mode is gapless, the effective theory turns out to be Gallilei invariant. The regime just below the critical temperature is approached in a high-temperature expansion which is shown to be consistent with the weak-coupling assumption of the theory. We calculate the critical temperature, the co-efficients of the Landau theory, and the finite-temperature sound velocity. A comparison with BCS theory is given.