Stationary convective instability in a superfluid /sup 3/He-/sup 4/He mixture

Journal Article · Sat Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1981 · Phys. Rev. A; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.24.975· OSTI ID:6314481

Steinberg, V

The stationary convection instability of a superfluid mixture is considered. The criteria for the instability onset in a superfluid region of the /sup 3/He-/sup 4/He phase diagram and in different limiting cases are obtained. It is shown that in different regions of the phase diagram, depending on the magnitude of the kinetic coefficients, the stationary-instability criterion is similar to that of either the regular binary mixture with abnormal thermal diffusion, to the pure liquid, or to the compressible pure liquid. The stability is also strongly dependent on concentration and temperature, and the critical temperature gradient rises sharply with decreasing temperature and concentration. At very low temperature (below 0.5 K) and concentration (dilute solution) the superfluid solution becomes stable with respect to stationary convection. Asymptotic behavior of the criterion in the vicinity of the lambda line, the tricritical point and for infinitely dilute solutions is also estimated.

• Research Organization: Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106
• OSTI ID: 6314481
• Journal Information: Phys. Rev. A; (United States), Journal Name: Phys. Rev. A; (United States) Vol. 24:2; ISSN PLRAA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640450* -- Fluid Physics-- Superfluidity
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
CONVECTIVE INSTABILITIES
DIAGRAMS
DISPERSIONS
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
FLUIDS
HELIUM 3
HELIUM 4
HELIUM II
HELIUM ISOTOPES
INSTABILITY
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
MIXTURES
NUCLEI
PHASE DIAGRAMS
PLASMA INSTABILITY
QUANTUM FLUIDS
STABLE ISOTOPES
SUPERFLUIDITY