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Identifying a Superfluid Reynolds Number via Dynamical Similarity

Reeves, M.T.; Billam, T.P.; Anderson, B.P.; Bradley, A.S.

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Authors

M.T. Reeves

T.P. Billam

B.P. Anderson

A.S. Bradley



Abstract

The Reynolds number provides a characterization of the transition to turbulent flow, with wide application in classical fluid dynamics. Identifying such a parameter in superfluid systems is challenging due to their fundamentally inviscid nature. Performing a systematic study of superfluid cylinder wakes in two dimensions, we observe dynamical similarity of the frequency of vortex shedding by a cylindrical obstacle. The universality of the turbulent wake dynamics is revealed by expressing shedding frequencies in terms of an appropriately defined superfluid Reynolds number, Res, that accounts for the breakdown of superfluid flow through quantum vortex shedding. For large obstacles, the dimensionless shedding frequency exhibits a universal form that is well-fitted by a classical empirical relation. In this regime the transition to turbulence occurs at Res≈0.7, irrespective of obstacle width.

Citation

Reeves, M., Billam, T., Anderson, B., & Bradley, A. (2015). Identifying a Superfluid Reynolds Number via Dynamical Similarity. Physical Review Letters, 114(15), Article 155302. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.114.155302

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Mar 3, 2015
Publication Date Apr 16, 2015
Deposit Date Jun 26, 2015
Publicly Available Date Mar 29, 2024
Journal Physical Review Letters
Print ISSN 0031-9007
Electronic ISSN 1079-7114
Publisher American Physical Society
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 114
Issue 15
Article Number 155302
DOI https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.114.155302
Related Public URLs http://arxiv.org/abs/1411.5742

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Copyright Statement
Reprinted with permission from the American Physical Society: Physical Review Letters 114, 155302 © 2015 by the American Physical Society. Readers may view, browse, and/or download material for temporary copying purposes only, provided these uses are for noncommercial personal purposes. Except as provided by law, this material may not be further reproduced, distributed, transmitted, modified, adapted, performed, displayed, published, or sold in whole or part, without prior written permission from the American Physical Society.




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