Superfluid turbulence
Most flows of fluids, in nature and in technology, are turbulent. Since much of the energy expended by machines and devices that involve fluid flows is spent in overcoming drag caused by turbulence, there is a strong motivation to understand the phenomena. Surprisingly, the peculiar, quantum-mechanical form of turbulence that can form in superfluid helium may turn out to be much simpler to understand that the classical turbulence that forms in normal fluids. It now seems that the study of superfluid turbulence may provide simplified model systems for studying some forms of classical turbulence. There are also practical motivations for studying superfluid turbulence. For example, superfuid helium is often used as a coolant in superconducting machinery. Superfluid turbulence is the primary impediment to the transfer of heat by superfluid helium; an understanding of the phenomena may make it possible to design more efficient methods of refrigeration for superconducting devices. 8 figs.
- OSTI ID:
- 6916491
- Journal Information:
- Scientific American; (USA), Journal Name: Scientific American; (USA) Vol. 259:5; ISSN SCAMA; ISSN 0036-8733
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
ATOMS
CLASSICAL MECHANICS
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
CRYOGENICS
ENERGY TRANSFER
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
FLUID FLOW
FLUID MECHANICS
FLUIDS
FUNCTIONS
HEAT TRANSFER
HELIUM 4
HELIUM II
HELIUM ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MECHANICS
MOTION
NUCLEI
QUANTUM FLUIDS
QUANTUM MECHANICS
ROTATION
SECOND SOUND
SIMULATION
STABLE ISOTOPES
SUPERCONDUCTORS
SUPERFLUIDITY
TURBULENCE
TURBULENT FLOW
USES
VELOCITY
VORTICES
WAVE FUNCTIONS