By use of the Larmor equivalence between uniform rotation and a magnetic field, we consider in the strong-interaction Thomas-Fermi regime the single centered vortex as the first Zeeman-like excited state of the axisymmetric rotating Bose-Einstein condensate. This yields a resonant-drive nucleation mechanism whose threshold is in quite good agreement with ENS, MIT, and JILA experimental results.

• Received 26 January 2007

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.99.120402