  We propose a nonlinear atom-optics experiment to create diffraction
catastrophes threaded by quantized vortex skeletons in Bose-Einstein condensed
matter waves. We show how atom-optical aberrations induced in trapped
Bose-Einstein condensates evolve into specific caustic structures due to
imperfect focusing. Vortex skeletons, whose cross-sections are staggered vortex
lattices, are observed to nucleate inside the universal diffraction
catastrophes. Our observations shed further light on the structure and dynamics
of Bose-novae and suggest applications of matter wave diffraction catastrophes,
including detection of the order parameter pairing symmetry in cold gas
experiments.
