Rotating quantum turbulence in superfluid 4He in the T=0 limit

Observations of quantum turbulence in pure superfluid 4He in a rotating container are reported. Large-scale forcing through rotational oscillations of the cubic container and detecting of turbulence via monitoring ion transport along the axis of rotation were used. Near the axial walls, with increasing forcing the vortex tangle grows without an observable threshold. This tangle gradually develops into bulk turbulence at a characteristic amplitude of forcing that depends on the forcing frequency and rotation rate. At higher amplitudes, the total vortex line length increases rapidly. Resonances of inertial waves are observed in both laminar and turbulent bulk states. On such resonances, the turbulence appears at smaller amplitudes of forcing. © 2012 American Physical Society.