Skip to main content

Visualization Technique for Determining the Structure Functions of Normal-Fluid Turbulence in Superfluid Helium-4

Journal of Low Temperature Physics volume 171, pages 497–503 (2013)Cite this article

Abstract

Metastable helium molecules have been shown to be ideal tracers for the study of normal-fluid flow in superfluid 4He above 1 K. These molecules can be visualized using a laser-induced-fluorescence technique. In order to extract quantitative information of the flow field, practical techniques need to be developed to study the density evolution of the molecules with a well defined initial distribution. In an on-going experiment, we use a focused femtosecond laser pulse to create a thin line of \(\mathrm{He}^{*}_{2}\) molecules in liquid helium. Such a line of molecules can be easily imaged. Studying the drift and distortion of the molecular line in a turbulent flow shall allow us to measure the instantaneous flow velocity field and hence determine the structure functions of the normal-fluid turbulence.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Price includes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

References

  1. T. Zhang, S.W. Van Sciver, Nat. Phys. 1, 36 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. G.P. Bewley et al., Nature (London) 441, 588 (2006)

    ADS  Article  Google Scholar 

  3. T. Zhang, S.W. Van Sciver, J. Low Temp. Phys. 138, 865 (2005)

    ADS  Article  Google Scholar 

  4. D. Kivotides, Phys. Rev. B 78, 224501 (2008)

    ADS  Article  Google Scholar 

  5. M.S. Paoletti et al., J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. 77, 111007 (2008)

    ADS  Article  Google Scholar 

  6. T.V. Chagovets, S.W. Van Sciver, Phys. Fluids 23, 107102 (2011)

    ADS  Article  Google Scholar 

  7. M.E. Hayden et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 93, 105302 (2004)

    ADS  Article  Google Scholar 

  8. D.N. McKinsey et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 95, 111101 (2005)

    ADS  Article  Google Scholar 

  9. W.G. Rellergert et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 025301 (2008)

    ADS  Article  Google Scholar 

  10. W. Guo et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 102, 235301 (2009)

    ADS  Article  Google Scholar 

  11. A.V. Benderskii et al., J. Chem. Phys. 117, 2101 (2002)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. D.N. McKinsey et al., Phys. Rev. A 59, 200 (1999)

    ADS  Article  Google Scholar 

  13. W. Guo et al., J. Low Temp. Phys. 158, 346 (2009)

    ADS  Article  Google Scholar 

  14. W. Guo et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 105, 045301 (2010)

    ADS  Article  Google Scholar 

  15. W.G. Rellergert, Ph.D. thesis, Yale University (2008)

  16. L.D. Landau, E.M. Lifshitz, Fluid Mechanics (Pergamon Press, Oxford, 1987)

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  17. A.V. Benderskii et al., J. Chem. Phys. 110, 1542 (1999)

    ADS  Article  Google Scholar 

  18. V. Ramanathan et al., Rev. Sci. Instrum. 77, 103103 (2006)

    ADS  Article  Google Scholar 

  19. S.A. Self, Appl. Opt. 22, 658 (1983)

    ADS  Article  Google Scholar 

  20. U. Frisch, Turbulence (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1995)

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  21. L. Skrbek et al., Phys. Rev. E 67, 047302 (2003)

    ADS  Article  Google Scholar 

  22. J.W. Keto et al., Phys. Rev. A 10, 887 (1974)

    ADS  Article  Google Scholar 

  23. K.R. Sreenivasan, Phys. Fluids 7, 2778 (1995)

    MathSciNet  ADS  MATH  Article  Google Scholar 

  24. W.F. Vinen, J.J. Niemela, J. Low Temp. Phys. 128, 167 (2002)

    ADS  Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank A.I. Golov, P.M.Walmsley, D.E. Zmeev, P.V.E. McClintock, and S.N. Fisher for helpful discussions. We also thank G. Labbe for his help on building and operating the cryostat. This work was supported by the National Science Foundation, through the Materials World Network program, Grant No. DMR-1007974 and Grant No. DMR-1007937.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06515, USA

    W. Guo & D. N. McKinsey

  2. Department of Physics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA

    A. Marakov, K. J. Thompson & G. G. Ihas

  3. Department of Physics, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK

    W. F. Vinen

Authors
  1. W. Guo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. D. N. McKinsey
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. A. Marakov
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. K. J. Thompson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. G. G. Ihas
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. W. F. Vinen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to W. Guo.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Guo, W., McKinsey, D.N., Marakov, A. et al. Visualization Technique for Determining the Structure Functions of Normal-Fluid Turbulence in Superfluid Helium-4. J Low Temp Phys 171, 497–503 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10909-012-0708-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10909-012-0708-2

Keywords

  • Quantum turbulence
  • Visualization
  • Helium molecules
  • Femtosecond laser
  • Structure functions
  • Energy spectrum