Quench Induced Vortices in the Symmetry Broken Phase of Liquid ${}^4$He

Abstract

Motivated by the study of cosmological phase transitions, our understanding of the formation of topological defects during spontaneous symmetry-breaking and the associated non-equilibrium field theory has recently changed. Experiments have been performed in superfluid ${}^4$He to test the new ideas involved. In particular, it has been observed that a vortex density is seen immediately after pressure quenches from just below the $\lambda$ transition. We discuss possible interpretations of these vortices, conclude they are consistent with our ideas of vortex formation and propose a modification of the original experiments.

29 pages, RevTeX with one EPS figure

References in corpus (1)

• Big bang simulation in superfluid 3He-B -- Vortex nucleation in neutron-irradiated superflow

Cited by in corpus (8)

• Cosmological Experiments in Condensed Matter Systems
• Density of kinks after a quench: When symmetry breaks, how big are the pieces?
• Vortex Loop Phase Transitions in Liquid Helium, Cosmic Strings, and High-T_c Superconductors
• Search for Spontaneous Nucleation of Magnetic Flux During Rapid Cooling of YBCO films Through Tc
• Dynamics of defect formation
• Rapidly Quenched Kosterlitz-Thouless Superfluid Transitions
• Vortex Formation and Dynamics in Superfluid 3He and Analogies in Quantum Field Theory
• Density of Topological Defects After a Quench