Nucleation of vortices in superfluid³He-B

Abstract

In a smooth-walled rotating container vortices nucleate spontaneously in³He-B at a critical velocityv _c (T, P) which is related to the bulk superflow instability velocityv _cb (T, P). This process takes place at the wall of the container. Vortices are also observed to nucleate at lower velocities in the bulk liquid in ionizing radiation. For this thermal neutrons are most practical since for them the absorption cross section is large in³He. An absorption event creates local overheating, a hot bubble in the cold superflow. An increasing number of vortex rings is observed to emerge from the bubble as a function of the superflow velocity.