Turbulence in superfluid helium-4

Physicists at Irig recently looked at how to measure turbulence flow velocity in superfluid helium-4, experimenting with two techniques used for “normal” fluids.
In the first, they used a hot wire 1.3 microns in diameter as an anemometer fixed in the flow and came up with models for interpreting the signals collected.
In the second, they employed a fixed camera to measure the speed of hollow glass microbeads immersed in the flow.
This research is part of a wider investigation of how superfluid helium-4, with zero viscosity, dissipates mechanical energy as heat.
The findings could also be useful in the interpretation of astronomical observations of bodies like neutron stars.

Contact: pantxo.diribarne@cea.fr

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