On an analog of the Aharonov-Bohm effect in superfluid helium

Department of Physics of Complex Systems, Weizmann Institute of Science Rehovot, 76100 Israel

Received: 8 January 1997
Accepted: 21 March 1997

Abstract

We propose a hydrodynamic analog of the Aharonov-Bohm experiment in which second-sound waves are scattered on a quantized vortex in superfluid helium. The time lag that develops between the two sides of a second-sound plane wave impinging on a vortex from the side would be compared. Estimates for these experiments show that for reasonable experimental conditions the wavefront splitting can be readily measured at reduced temperatures of 10^-6. The advantages of doing this experiment near the superfluid transition is discussed. This experiment would compliment the three other Aharonov-Bohm–type experiments which involve all four possible combinations of classical/quantum waves and classical/quantum vortices. This technique would provide a non-invasive means of investigating the dynamics of quantum vortex nucleation and their stability as well as addressing the problem of multiply quantized.