Cavitation of Electron Bubbles In Liquid Helium-4

Abstract

Electron bubbles in liquid helium form an interesting quantum mechanical system. The electron bubbles can be cavitated by introducing a critical negative pressure in the form of sound waves. Experiments suggest that there are two such critical pressures: each one occurring with a different mechanism. We study the relationship of this critical pressure with variation in temperature, static pressure, and frequency of the sound. Experimental data also suggest the existence of a new event called a very rare event of which not much is known. Below a certain temperature, the value of the critical pressure deviated from theoretical predictions. We performed calculations for nonlinear propagation of sound to explain these deviations. The simulations successfully modeled the system and it was concluded that the propagation of sound in liquid helium is nonlinear.