Prof. Joe Vinen
University of Birmingham, UK
Monday, April
13, 2009
4:00 pm in SPL 57
Quantum Turbulence
Abstract: Quantum turbulence is the name we give to turbulence in a superfluid, such as the liquid phase at a low enough temperature of 4He or of 3He. Such a superfluid differs from a classical fluid in that it can display two-fluid behaviour, the superfluid component being able to flow without friction, and hydrodynamic circulation in this component being quantized. Although quantum turbulence can be similar in some ways to its classical counterpart, new types of turbulent behaviour can appear, the development of an understanding of which leads us to some challenging experimental, computational and theoretical problems. After a brief introduction to some essential features of classical turbulence, the lecture will focus on some of these new problems, many of which remain either unsolved or only partially solved. As is well-known, aspects of even classical turbulence remain poorly understood, and the extent to which a study of quantum turbulence can contribute to an understanding of classical turbulence will be explored briefly.
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