Experiments on the rapid mechanical expansion of liquid ⁴He through its superfluid transition

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V. B. Efimov,^1,2 O. J. Griffiths,² P. C. Hendry,² G. V. Kolmakov,^1,2 P. V. E. McClintock,² and L. Skrbek^2,3
¹Institute of Solid State Physics, RAS, Chernogolovka, Russia
²Department of Physics, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YB, United Kingdom
³Joint Low Temperature Laboratory, Institute of Physics ASCR and Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University, V Holeovikách 2, 180 00 Prague, Czech Republic

Received 21 June 2006; published 16 November 2006

Phenomenafollowing a rapid mechanical quench of liquid ⁴He from itsnormal to its superfluid phase are reported and discussed. Themechanical expansion apparatus is an improved version of that describedpreviously. It uses a double-cell geometry to effect a partialseparation of the sample from the convolutions of the bellowsthat form the outer wall of the cell. Consistent withearlier work, no evidence is found for the production ofquantized vortices via the Kibble-Zurek (KZ) mechanism. Although the expansionis complete within 15 ms, the second-sound velocity and attenuation continueto increase for a further ~60 ms; correspondingly the temperature decreases.Subsequently, the temperature rises again toward its final value asthe second-sound velocity and attenuation decrease. It is shown thatthis unexpected behavior is apparently associated with a large-amplitude second-soundoscillation produced by the expansion, and it is suggested thatthe observed vortices are created by the normal fluid–superfluid counterflowthat constitutes the second-sound wave. If production of large-amplitude secondsound is inherent to the mechanical expansion of liquid ⁴Hethrough the superfluid transition, as appears to be the casefor final temperatures more than 3 mK from the lambda transition,the phenomenon sets a lower bound on the density ofKZ vortices that can be detected in this type ofexperiment.

URL:	http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevE.74.056305
DOI:	10.1103/PhysRevE.74.056305
PACS:	47.32.-y; 67.40.Vs; 67.55.Cx; 67.40.Pm 47.32.-y Rotational flow and vorticity 67.40.Vs Vortices and turbulence (liquid ⁴He) 67.55.Cx Thermodynamic properties (normal liquid ³He) 67.40.Pm Transport processes, second and other sounds, and thermal counterflow; Kapitza resistance (liquid ⁴He) YEAR: 2006
KEYWORDS:	superfluid helium-4, superfluidity, vortices, second sound

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