On the electric activity of superfluid helium at the excitation of first and second sound waves

Journal Article · Fri Jan 15 00:00:00 EST 2010 · Journal of Experimental and Theoretical Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1134/S1063776110120101· OSTI ID:22028285

Gurin, A A ^[1]

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1. National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Institute of Physics (Ukraine)

We show that the electric activity of superfluid helium (HeII) observed in the experiments [3] during the excitation of standing second sound waves in an acoustic resonator can be described in terms of the phenomenological mechanism of the inertial polarization of atoms in a dielectric, in particular, in HeII, when the polarization field induced in the medium is proportional to the mechanical acceleration, by analogy with the Stewart-Tolman effect. The variable relative velocity w = v{sub n} - v{sub s} of the normal and superfluid HeII components that emerges in the second sound wave determines the mean group velocity of rotons, V{sub g} Almost-Equal-To w, with the density of the normal component related to their equilibrium number density in the temperature range 1.3 K {<=} T {<=} 2 K. Therefore, the acceleration of the 4He atoms involved in the formation of a roton excitation is proportional to the time derivative of the relative velocity.w. In this case, the linear local relations between the variable values of the electric induction, electric field strength, and polarization vector should be taken into account. As a result, the variable displacement current induced in the bulk of HeII and the corresponding potential difference do not depend on the anomalously low polarizability of liquid helium. This allows the ratio of the amplitudes of the temperature and potential oscillations in the second sound wave, which is almost independent of T in the above temperature range, consistent with experimental data to be obtained. At the same time, the absence of an electric response during the excitation of first sound waves in the linear regime is related to an insufficient power of the sound oscillations. Based on the experimental data on the excitation of first and second sounds, we have obtained estimates for the phenomenological coefficient of proportionality between the polarization vector and acceleration and for the drag coefficient of helium atoms by rotons in the second sound wave. We also show that the presence of a steady heat flow in HeII with nonzero longitudinal velocity and temperature gradients due to finite viscosity and thermal conductivity of the normal component leads to a change in the phase velocities of the first and second sound waves and to an exponential growth of their amplitudes with time, which should cause the amplitudes of the electric signals at the first and second sound frequencies to grow. This instability is analogous to the growth of the amplitude of long gravity waves on a shallow-water surface that propagate in the direction of decreasing basin depth.

• OSTI ID: 22028285
• Journal Information: Journal of Experimental and Theoretical Physics, Vol. 111, Issue 6; Other Information: Copyright (c) 2010 Pleiades Publishing, Ltd.; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1063-7761
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
ACCELERATION
AMPLITUDES
DIELECTRIC MATERIALS
ELECTRIC FIELDS
EXCITATION
GRAVITY WAVES
HELIUM II
OSCILLATIONS
PHASE VELOCITY
POLARIZABILITY
POLARIZATION
POTENTIALS
RESONATORS
ROTONS
SECOND SOUND
SOUND WAVES
SUPERFLUIDITY
THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY
VISCOSITY
WATER