  We study the splitting of multiply quantized vortices with large quantum
numbers in dilute nonrotated Bose-Einstein condensates in the zero-temperature
limit. The splitting is observed to result in vortex-free condensate fragments
which are separated by vortex sheets. The number of these fragments is found to
be equal to the angular-momentum quantum number of the Bogoliubov excitation
mode responsible for the splitting, although the formulation of the fragments
cannot be described by small-amplitude excitations. Thus, the realization of an
isolated giant vortex and the observation of its splitting would provide a
means to directly relate the experimental data to discrete theoretical
quantities.
