Quantum solids, liquids, and gases program:Superfluid turbulence

by Prof. Boris Svistunov (University of Massachusetts, Amherst)

Thursday 19 Aug 2010, 13:45 → 14:45 Europe/Stockholm

Superfluid turbulence, a.k.a. quantum turbulence, is a tangle of quantized vortex lines in a superfluid. Superfluid turbulence can be created in a number of ways: as a result of non-equilibrium kinetics of Bose-Einstein condensation, in which case it is a manifestation of generic Kibble-Zurek mechanism; in the counter-flow of normal and superfluid components; as a result of macroscopic motion of a superfluid, in which case it can mimic (at large enough length scale) classical-fluid turbulence. I will focus on the theory of relaxation kinetics of superfluid turbulence at T=0. The physics of zero-temperature limit is very rich and instructive in view of essentially conservative character of vortex dynamics, with symmetries playing a crucial part.