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Drag Measurement on an Oscillating Sphere in Helium II

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Abstract

Here we report measurement of the drag on a 3 mm oscillating sphere in superfluid 4He in the temperature range 1.6 K to 2.1 K. A Nb-Ti superconducting solenoid is used to suspend a niobium sphere; meanwhile a similar superconducting quadrupole magnet centers and helps to stabilize the ball at one location in the flow channel. The niobium sphere is levitated by the superconducting magnetic suspension system; then the oscillation is obtained by dropping the ball from one equilibrium point to a lower equilibrium point via reducing the levitating magnetic field. The sphere’s oscillation is then recorded with a high-speed CCD camera. The velocity of the sphere is obtained by comparing the images captured and the distance the sphere has moved with time. Drag force is calculated through its relation to the maximum velocity decay rate. The sphere is contained within a closed end channel that allows measurements in liquid or gaseous helium and vacuum.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32305, USA

    A. M. Hemmati, S. Fuzier, E. Bosque & S. W. Van Sciver

Authors
  1. A. M. Hemmati
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  2. S. Fuzier
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  3. E. Bosque
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  4. S. W. Van Sciver
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Correspondence to S. W. Van Sciver.

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Hemmati, A.M., Fuzier, S., Bosque, E. et al. Drag Measurement on an Oscillating Sphere in Helium II. J Low Temp Phys 156, 71–83 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10909-009-9890-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10909-009-9890-2

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