Vortex Line Density in a Superfluid Turbulent Wake in the Zero Temperature Limit

ABSTRACT We theoretically study the line density of quantum vortices in a superfluid turbulent wake based on the conjecture of quantum turbulence of a pure superfluid in the zero temperature limit. The conjecture states that a collection of many quantum vortices can mimic a classical eddy in the continuum approximation. By straightforwardly relating the Kolmogorov's similarity to this conjecture, we can estimate that the effective viscosity of a pure superfluid turbulence is comparable to the circulation quantum , the minimum circulation of quantum vortices. This result naturally leads to a definition of the superfluid Reynolds number, with the characteristic size and velocity , supported by the fact that the equation of motion of a pure superfluid reduces to the Euler equation for high . By using the classical description of the rate of energy injection or dissipation, we quantitatively evaluate a characteristic density of vortex lines in a superfluid turbulent wake and its spatial profile of grid turbulence in terms of the superfluid Reynolds number.