Transition from Ekman flow to Taylor vortex flow in superfluid helium
arXiv:cond-mat/0306566 · doi:10.1017/S0022112004009206
Abstract
By numerically computing the steady axisymmetric flow of helium II confined inside a finite aspect ratio Couette annulus, we determine the transition from Ekman flow to Taylor vortex flow as a function of temperature and aspect ratio.We find that the low-Reynolds number flow is quite different to that of a classical fluid, particularly at lower temperatures.At high aspect ratio our results confirm the existing linear stability theory of the onset of Taylor vortices, which assumes infinitely long cylinders.
12 pages, 8 figures; submitted