Superfluid meniscus in rotating 3He-B


FIGURE  Interferogram on rotating superfluid 3He-B 
at T = 0.6 mK recorded at angular velocity 1.5 rad/s
In our experiments on thin films of superfluid 3He under rotation three different parabolic menisci were identified [PRL 74, 2744 (1995)].  

In addition to the classical meniscus, indicating average solid body rotation of the superfluid component with normal fluid, two novel menisci were observed for states in which only the normal or the superfluid component of 3He-B rotates. 

As predicted by the two fluid hydrodynamics of Landau, a temperature-dependent meniscus, reduced by rn/r, was observed in the vortex-free state (Landau state) at small speeds < 0.2 rad/s; this has never been observed in 4He because vortices appear in the bulk superfluid at very low critical angular velocities. 

 

A unique amplified-in-depth meniscus was observed for the decaying, purely superfluid rotation, observed after a rapid halt of the cryostat as shown on the left. Our studies, both in the stationary and rotating states, were the first optical investigations of superfluid hydrodynamics in 3He.
 

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