Matthew Paoletti
Institute for Research in Electronics and Applied Physics, University of Maryland
Quantum Mechanics meets Fluid Dynamics: Direct Visualization of Vortex Reconnections in Superfluid Helium
Significant questions regarding turbulence in quantum fluids, such
as superfluid helium, remain unanswered owing to the inability to
directly probe the local velocity in a manner quite common in the study
of classical fluid turbulence. Using a novel visualization technique to
measure the local velocity field, we are able to characterize
fundamental processes in turbulent superfluid helium. A mixture of
hydrogen and helium gas is directly injected into the bulk of the fluid,
which produces micron-sized tracer particles that are individually
tracked. We demonstrate the two-fluid nature of superfluid helium and
make the first observation of individual reconnection events, and we
compare the local velocity statistics with predictions for turbulent
quantum fluids.