Spin and orbital dynamics of superfluid 3He

W. F. Brinkman, M. C. Cross

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

46 Scopus citations

Abstract

This chapter discusses a combination of hard core repulsive interaction and the strong spin fluctuations that exist in liquid 3He (helium). The dependence of the energy of superfluid 3He on the orientation of the broken symmetry variables is a recurring theme throughout the chapter. These energies are necessarily much smaller than the pairing energy stabilizing the superfluid phase if a description in terms of only the broken symmetry variables is to be valid. Contributions to the energy come from spatial inhomogeneities, the spin–orbit interaction, applied flows and fields, and from the proximity of surfaces. The existence of a “bending energy”—an energy resisting spatial variations of the order parameter—is obvious. Gradients of the order parameter also lead to super currents of both mass and spin.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)105-190
Number of pages86
JournalProgress in Low Temperature Physics
Volume7
Issue numberPA
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 1 1978
Externally publishedYes

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
  • Condensed Matter Physics

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