Non-stationary thermoelectric effect in He II and how it is affected by the thermal vibrations’ transition from laminar to the turbulent regime

Abstract

The observation of the thermoelectric effect, which is the spontaneous electric polarization of a cell with liquid He II during the thermal excitation of standing second-sound waves, has been confirmed [Low Temperature Physics 30, 1321 (2004)]. The relationship of this effect with the thermal and hydrodynamic properties of He II is studied in detail in the temperature range of 1.4 K < T < 2 K. It is established that the dependence of the amplitude of electric potential oscillations on the excitation intensity changes significantly during the thermal vibrations’ transition from the laminar to the turbulent regime. The threshold value of the excitation power w = w0 (T) is recorded: in the region w < w0, the potential oscillations are regular and their amplitude increases in proportion to the power; at w > w0, the electric response becomes random in nature as the fluctuations increase and the amplitude decreases to zero, with a peculiar electromagnetic “noise” being observed. The experimental results are compared with the conclusions drawn from the theory of flexoelectric polarization of liquid helium. The polarization of liquid helium upon excitation of the first-sound waves, as well as pressure and temperature shock waves, has also been discussed.