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Dispersion relation for phonon second-sound waves in superfluid helium

Journal Article · · Physical Review, B: Solid State
The velocity and attenuation of phonon second-sound waves in superfluid 4He at saturated vapor pressure have been calculated, as a function of sound-wave frequency ω, over the entire frequency range at a single temperature 0.25 °K. Second sound is obtained as a wavelike normal mode of a model phonon Boltzmann equation containing, in addition to the lifetime τ of a single thermal phonon due to small-angle scattering, a sequence of longer lifetimes characterizing wide-angle scattering of phonons with anomalous dispersion. The calculated second-sound phase velocity shows a dispersion spread out over four orders of magnitude in frequency in the range ωτ approximately-less-than 1. Moreover, there is a wide frequency range satisfying ωτ very-much-greater-than 1 in which a second- sound collective mode still propagates, with the same velocity as a thermal phonon but with an attenuation length much longer than the thermal-phonon mean free path. The existence of a collective mode in the regime ωτ very-much-greater-than 1, due to small-angle scattering, supports Maris's proposed explanation of resonancelike dispersion in the first-sound velocity, and also implies that the transition from collective to ballistic propagation in heat-pulse experiments is more complicated than previously supposed.
Research Organization:
Department of Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85281
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
NSA Number:
NSA-33-024391
OSTI ID:
4041414
Journal Information:
Physical Review, B: Solid State, Journal Name: Physical Review, B: Solid State Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 13; ISSN 0556-2805; ISSN PRBMDO
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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