title: Vortex multiplication in applied flow: A precursor to superfluid turbulence.
abstract: A surface-mediated process is identified in 3He-B which generates vortices at a roughly constant rate. It precedes a faster form of turbulence where intervortex interactions dominate. This precursor becomes observable when vortex loops are introduced in low-velocity rotating flow at sufficiently low mutual friction dissipation at temperatures below 0.5Tc. Our measurements indicate that the formation of new loops is associated with a single vortex interacting in the applied flow with the sample boundary. Numerical calculations show that the single-vortex instability arises when a helical Kelvin wave expands from a reconnection kink at the wall and then intersects again with the wall.
authors.affiliation: Low Temperature Laboratory, Helsinki University of Technology, P.O. Box 2200, FIN-02015 HUT, Finland.
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Finne
authors.forename: V B
authors.initials: VB
authors.lastname: Eltsov
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Eska
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hänninen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kopu
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Krusius
authors.forename: E V
authors.initials: EV
authors.lastname: Thuneberg
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tsubota