Vortex reconnection in superfluid helium

Journal Article · Mon Aug 30 04:00:00 EDT 1993 · Physical Review Letters; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.71.1375· OSTI ID:6022681

Koplik, J ^[1]; Levine, H ^[2]

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1. Benjamin Levich Institute and Department of Physics, City College of New York, New York, New York 10031 (United States)
2. Department of Physics and Institute for Nonlinear Science, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0402 (United States)

A useful physical model for superfluid turbulence considers the flow to consist of a dense tangle of vortex lines which evolve and interact. It has been suggested that these vortex lines can dynamically reconnect upon close approach. Here, we consider the nonlinear Schroedinger equation model of superfluid quantum mechanics, and use numerical simulation to study this topology changing core-scale process. Our results support the idea that vortex reconnection will occur whenever filaments come within a few core lengths of one another.

• OSTI ID: 6022681
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters; (United States), Journal Name: Physical Review Letters; (United States) Vol. 71:9; ISSN 0031-9007; ISSN PRLTAO
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

665420* -- Superfluidity-- (1992-)
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
DATA
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
ELEMENTS
EQUATIONS
FLUIDS
GASES
HELIUM
INFORMATION
MECHANICS
NONLINEAR PROBLEMS
NONMETALS
NUMERICAL DATA
PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
QUANTUM MECHANICS
RARE GASES
SCHROEDINGER EQUATION
SIMULATION
SUPERFLUIDITY
THEORETICAL DATA
TURBULENCE
VORTICES
WAVE EQUATIONS