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Thermally and mechanically driven quantum turbulence in helium II

Lookup NU author(s): Dr Andrew BaggaleyORCiD, Lucy Sherwin, Professor Carlo Barenghi, Emeritus Professor Yuri Sergeev

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Abstract

In most experiments with superfluid helium, turbulence is generated thermally (by applying a heat flux, as in thermal counterflow) or mechanically (by stirring the liquid). By modeling the superfluid vortex lines as reconnecting space curves with fixed circulation, and the driving normal fluid as a uniform flow (for thermal counterflow) and a synthetic turbulent flow (for mechanically driven turbulence), we determine the difference between thermally and mechanically driven quantum turbulence. We find that in mechanically driven turbulence, the energy is concentrated at the large scales, the spectrum obeys Kolmogorov scaling, vortex lines have large curvature, and the presence of coherent vortex structures induces vortex reconnections at small angles. On the contrary, in thermally driven turbulence, the energy is concentrated at the mesoscales, the curvature is smaller, the vorticity field is featureless, and reconnections occur at larger angles. Our results suggest a method to experimentally detect the presence of superfluid vortex bundles.

Publication metadata

Author(s): Baggaley AW, Sherwin LK, Barenghi CF, Sergeev YA

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Physical Review B

Year: 2012

Volume: 86

Issue: 10

Print publication date: 04/09/2012

Date deposited: 18/11/2013

ISSN (print): 1098-0121

ISSN (electronic): 1550-235X

Publisher: American Physical Society

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.86.104501

DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevB.86.104501

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