Time-of-Flight Measurements of Vortices Emitted from Quantum Turbulence in Superfluid ⁴He

Abstract

An oscillating obstacle generates quantum turbulence in superfluids, when vortices remained attached to obstacle surfaces or vortex rings collided with it during oscillation. Turbulence provides a source of vortices; however, the characteristics of these vortices are not clear. In the present work, we report the flight of vortices emitted from quantum turbulence in superfluid ⁴He at low temperatures, using vibrating wires as a generator and a detector of vortices. A vortex-free vibrating wire can detect only the first colliding vortex ring, though it will be refreshed after low vibration and be able to detect a vortex ring again. By measuring a period from the start of turbulence generation to the vortex detection repeatedly, we find an exponential distribution of time-of-flights with a non-detection period t ₀ and a mean detection period t ₁, suggesting a Poisson process. Both periods t ₀ and t ₁ increase with increasing distance between a generator and a detector. A vortex flight velocity estimated from period t ₀ suggests that the sizes of the emitted vortex rings distribute to a range smaller than a generator thickness or a generator vibration amplitude. Vortices are emitted radially from a turbulence region, at least in the direction of oscillator vibration.