Precession of a single vortex line in superfluid B3

R. J. Zieve*, Yu Mukharsky, J. D. Close, J. C. Davis, R. E. Packard

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    35 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    This paper reports the discovery of a new vortex phenomenon in superfluid B3. A single filament of quantized vortex line precesses as a solid body around a wire extending along the axis of a cylinder. The precession frequency equals the angular velocity of the apparatus at which the presence of a single quantum of circulation minimizes the systems free energy. The period of precession is related to the circulation quantum and the dimensions of the apparatus. Thus a measurement of the precession period is an accurate determination of the quantum unit. We find =(1.0200.03)h/2m3, where m3 is the mass of the He3 atom.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)1327-1330
    Number of pages4
    JournalPhysical Review Letters
    Volume68
    Issue number9
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 1992

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