2000/09/20 by Michael Niemetz, Niemetz, Michael, Hubert Kerscher +3
Physics and Astronomy · #Chaotic Dynamics (nlin.CD) #Condensed Matter (cond-mat) #FOS: Physical sciences #Fluid Dynamics (physics.flu-dyn) #cond-mat #nlin.CD #physics.flu-dyn
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.cond-mat/0009299
4 pages, 5 figures
arxiv created 2000/09/20 · arxiv updated 2009/11/30
Superfluid flow around an oscillating microsphere is investigated at temperatures down to 25 mK. Stable laminar flow below a critical velocity and turbulence at large drives are found to be separated below 0.5 K by an intermediate range of driving forces where the flow is unstable, intermittently switching between laminar and turbulent phases. We have recorded time series of this switching phenomenon and have made a statistical analysis of the switching probability. The mean lifetime of the turbulent phases grows with increasing drive and becomes infinite at a critical value. Stability of the laminar phases above the critical velocity is limited by natural background radioactivity or cosmic rays.