Asymptotic Interactions of Critically Coupled Vortices

 At critical coupling, the interactions of Ginzburg-Landau vortices are determined by the metric on the moduli space of static solutions. Here, a formula for the asymptotic metric for two well separated vortices is obtained, which depends on a modified Bessel function. A straightforward extension gives the metric for N vortices. The asymptotic metric is also shown to follow from a physical model, where each vortex is treated as a point-like particle carrying a scalar charge and a magnetic dipole moment of the same magnitude. The geodesic motion of two well separated vortices is investigated, and the asymptotic dependence of the scattering angle on the impact parameter is determined. Formulae for the asymptotic Ricci and scalar curvatures of the N-vortex moduli space are also obtained. Received: 25 June 2002 / Accepted: 7 February 2003 Published online: 17 April 2003 Communicated by A. Kupiainen