Abstract
A nuclear capture reaction of a single neutron by ultracold superfluid He3 results in a rapid overheating followed by the expansion and subsequent cooling of the hot subregion, in a certain analogy with the big bang of the early universe. It was shown in a Grenoble experiment that a significant part of the energy released during the nuclear reaction was not converted into heat even after several seconds. It was thought that the missing energy was stored in a tangle of quantized vortex lines. This explanation, however, contradicts the expected lifetime of a bulk vortex tangle, 10-5-10-4 s, which is much shorter than the observed time delay of seconds. In this paper we propose a scenario that resolves the contradiction: the vortex tangle, created by the hot spot, emits isolated vortex loops that take with them a significant part of the tangle's energy. These loops quickly reach the container walls. The dilute ensemble of vortex loops attached to the walls can survive for a long time, while the remaining bulk vortex tangle decays quickly.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 024508 |
Journal | Physical Review B |
Volume | 90 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 10 Jul 2014 |
Bibliographical note
EU [228464]; Agence Nationale de la Recherche (France) within MajoranaPRO Project [ANR-13-BS04-0009-01]; Russian Government Program of Competitive Growth of Kazan Federal University; Minerva Foundation, Munich, GermanyThis work had been supported in part by the EU 7th Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013, Grant No. 228464 Microkelvin), by Agence Nationale de la Recherche (France) within MajoranaPRO Project No. (ANR-13-BS04-0009-01), by Russian Government Program of Competitive Growth of Kazan Federal University, and by the Minerva Foundation, Munich, Germany.All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
- Condensed Matter Physics