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arXiv:1201.3188 · Physical Review B

Symmetry of Kelvin-wave dynamics and the Kelvin-wave cascade in the T=0 superfluid turbulence

Edouard B Sonin

Published Mar 21, 2012• 33 citations
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Abstract

This article considers the implications of tilt symmetry (symmetry with respect to tilting of the coordinate axis with respect to which vortex motion is studied) in the nonlinear dynamics of Kelvin waves. The conclusion is that although the spectrum of a Kelvin wave is not tilt-invariant, this does not compromise the tilt invariance of the Kelvin-wave cascade that is currently being vigorously debated in the theory of superfluid turbulence. The article investigates the effect of strong kelvon interaction on the power-law exponent for the Kelvin-wave cascade and suggests a simple picture of the crossover from the classical Kolmogorov cascade to the quantum Kelvin-wave cascade, which does not encounter a mismatch of the energy distributions at the crossover and does not require a broad intermediate interval for realization of the crossover.

DOI
10.1103/physrevb.85.104516

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As long as vorticity quantization remains irrelevant for long-wave physics, superfluid turbulence supports a regime macroscopically identical to the Kolmogorov cascade of a normal liquid. At high enough wave numbers, the energy flux in wavelength space is carried by individual Kelvin-wave cascades on separate vortex lines. We analyze the transformation of the Kolmogorov cascade into the Kelvin-wave cascade, revealing a chain of three distinct intermediate cascades supported by local-induction motion of the vortex lines and distinguished by specific reconnection mechanisms. The most prominent qualitative feature predicted is unavoidable production of vortex rings of a characteristic size.

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Comment on “Superfluid Turbulence from Quantum Kelvin Wave to Classical Kolmogorov Cascades”

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In this comment we point out that the high wavenumber $k^{-3}$ power-law observed by the PRL, [v. 103, 084501 (2009) by J. Yepez, G. Vahala, L.Vahala and M. Soe, arXiv:0905.0159] is an artifact stemming from the definition of the kinetic energy spectra and is thus not directly related to a Kelvin wave cascade. We also clarify a confusion about the wavenumber intervals on which Kolmogorov and Kelvin wave cascades are expected to take place.

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Comment on “Symmetry of Kelvin-wave dynamics and the Kelvin-wave cascade in the T=0 superfluid turbulence”

Victor S. L’vov, Sergey Nazarenko

We comment on the paper by Sonin [Phys. Rev. B 85, 104516 (2012)] with most statements of which we disagree. We use this option to shed light on some important issues of a theory of Kelvin-wave turbulence, touched on in Sonin's paper, in particular, on the relation between the Vinen spectrum of strong and the L'vov-Nazarenko spectrum of weak turbulence of Kelvin waves. We also discuss the role of explicit calculation of the Kelvin-wave interaction Hamiltonian and ``symmetry arguments'' that have to resolve a contradiction between the Kozik-Svistunov and the L'vov-Nazarenko spectrum of weak turbulence of Kelvin waves.

arXiv:1208.4593•Physical Review B•Dec 27, 2012•8 citations

Kelvin Waves Cascade in Superfluid Turbulence

Demosthenes Kivotides, John Christos Vassilicos, David C. Samuels +1 more

We study numerically the interaction of four initial superfluid vortex rings in the absence of any dissipation or friction. We find evidence for a cascade of Kelvin waves generated by individual vortex reconnection events which transfers energy to higher and higher wave numbers k. After the vortex reconnections occur, the energy spectrum scales as k(-1) and the curvature spectrum becomes flat. These effects highlight the importance of Kelvin waves and reconnections in the transfer of energy within a turbulent vortex tangle.

Physical Review Letters•Apr 2, 2001•157 citations
This article considers the implications of tilt symmetry (symmetry with respect to tilting of the coordinate axis with respect to which vortex motion is studied) in the nonlinear dynamics of Kelvin waves. The conclusion is that although the spectrum of a Kelvin wave is not tilt-invariant, this does not compromise the tilt invariance of the Kelvin-wave cascade that is currently being vigorously debated in the theory of superfluid turbulence. The article investigates the effect of strong kelvon interaction on the power-law exponent for the Kelvin-wave cascade and suggests a simple picture of the crossover from the classical Kolmogorov cascade to the quantum Kelvin-wave cascade, which does not encounter a mismatch of the energy distributions at the crossover and does not require a broad intermediate interval for realization of the crossover.
As long as vorticity quantization remains irrelevant for long-wave physics, superfluid turbulence supports a regime macroscopically identical to the Kolmogorov cascade of a normal liquid. At high enough wave numbers, the energy flux in wavelength space is carried by individual Kelvin-wave cascades on separate vortex lines. We analyze the transformation of the Kolmogorov cascade into the Kelvin-wave cascade, revealing a chain of three distinct intermediate cascades supported by local-induction motion of the vortex lines and distinguished by specific reconnection mechanisms. The most prominent qualitative feature predicted is unavoidable production of vortex rings of a characteristic size.
Abstract Quantum turbulence — the chaotic, non-equilibrium state of a superfluid threaded by a dense tangle of quantized vortex lines — provides a uniquely clean testbed for the universal statistical mechanics of turbulent energy transfer. We develop a theoretical account of the energy cascade across all relevant length scales: from macroscopic, quasi-classical Richardson–Kolmogorov eddies, through the dimensionally frustrated L’vov–Nazarenko–Rudenko (LNR) bottleneck at the mean inter-vortex spacing, down to the weakly nonlinear Kelvin-wave cascade on individual filaments, and finally to the zero-temperature dissipation cutoff. Starting from the Gross–Pitaevskii equation and its Madelung hydrodynamic decomposition, we separate the compressible and incompressible components of the flow to isolate the vortical and acoustic energy channels. Vortex reconnection is identified as the microscopic mechanism coupling these regimes, and the competing predictions of the Vortex Filament Model and the Gross–Pitaevskii equation for reconnection dynamics are compared. We review the theoretical controversy between the Kozik–Svistunov six-wave cascade and the L’vov–Nazarenko four-wave cascade, together with the associated tilt-symmetry debate, and present the finite-temperature two-fluid (HVBK) description, showing how mutual friction locks the normal and superfluid components at large scales while damping Kelvin waves at small scales. PACS numbers: 67.25.dk, 47.37.+q, 03.75.Kk, 47.32.C−
The main topological feature of a superfluid is a quantum vortex with an identifiable inner and outer radius. A novel unitary quantum lattice gas algorithm is used to simulate quantum turbulence of a Bose-Einstein condensate superfluid described by the Gross-Pitaevskii equation on grids up to 5760(3). For the first time, an accurate power-law scaling for the quantum Kelvin wave cascade is determined: k(-3). The incompressible kinetic energy spectrum exhibits very distinct power-law spectra in 3 ranges of k space: a classical Kolmogorov k(-(5/3)) spectrum at scales greater than the outer radius of individual quantum vortex cores and a quantum Kelvin wave cascade spectrum k(-3) on scales smaller than the inner radius of the quantum vortex core. The k(-3) quantum Kelvin wave spectrum due to phonon radiation is robust, while the k(-(5/3)) classical Kolmogorov spectrum becomes robust on large grids.
In this comment we point out that the high wavenumber k−3k^{-3}k−3 power-law observed by the PRL, [v. 103, 084501 (2009) by J. Yepez, G. Vahala, L.Vahala and M. Soe, arXiv:0905.0159] is an artifact stemming from the definition of the kinetic energy spectra and is thus not directly related to a Kelvin wave cascade. We also clarify a confusion about the wavenumber intervals on which Kolmogorov and Kelvin wave cascades are expected to take place.
We comment on the paper by Sonin [Phys. Rev. B 85, 104516 (2012)] with most statements of which we disagree. We use this option to shed light on some important issues of a theory of Kelvin-wave turbulence, touched on in Sonin's paper, in particular, on the relation between the Vinen spectrum of strong and the L'vov-Nazarenko spectrum of weak turbulence of Kelvin waves. We also discuss the role of explicit calculation of the Kelvin-wave interaction Hamiltonian and ``symmetry arguments'' that have to resolve a contradiction between the Kozik-Svistunov and the L'vov-Nazarenko spectrum of weak turbulence of Kelvin waves.
We study numerically the interaction of four initial superfluid vortex rings in the absence of any dissipation or friction. We find evidence for a cascade of Kelvin waves generated by individual vortex reconnection events which transfers energy to higher and higher wave numbers k. After the vortex reconnections occur, the energy spectrum scales as k(-1) and the curvature spectrum becomes flat. These effects highlight the importance of Kelvin waves and reconnections in the transfer of energy within a turbulent vortex tangle.