Nucleation of vortices by rapid thermal quench

TL;DR

This paper investigates how rapid thermal quench induces vortex formation in superfluid helium-3, revealing that a transverse interface instability driven by superflow is the main mechanism, supported by theoretical and numerical analysis.

Contribution

It provides exact expressions for the instability threshold and demonstrates the dominant vortex nucleation mechanism through combined analytical and numerical methods.

Findings

Vortex nucleation is dominated by a transverse interface instability.

Exact formulas for instability thresholds are derived.

Numerical solutions confirm the theoretical predictions.

Abstract

We show that vortex nucleation in superfluid $^3$He by rapid thermal quench in the presence of superflow is dominated by a transverse instability of the moving normal-superfluid interface. Exact expressions for the instability threshold as a function of supercurrent density and the front velocity are found. The results are verified by numerical solution of the Ginzburg-Landau equation.