Observation of nearly perfect irrotational flow in normal and superfluid strongly interacting Fermi gases.

Journal Article (Journal Article)

We study the hydrodynamic expansion of a rotating strongly interacting Fermi gas by releasing a cigar-shaped cloud with a known angular momentum from an optical trap. As the aspect ratio of the expanding cloud approaches unity, the angular velocity increases, indicating quenching of the moment of inertia I to as low as 0.05 of the rigid body value I(rig). Remarkably, we observe this behavior in both the superfluid and collisional normal fluid regimes, which obey nearly identical zero-viscosity irrotational hydrodynamics. We attribute irrotational flow in the normal fluid to a decay of the rotational part of the stream velocity during expansion, which occurs when the shear viscosity is negligible. Using conservation of angular momentum, we directly observe a fundamental result of irrotational hydrodynamics, I/I(rig) = delta2, where delta is the deformation parameter of the cloud.

Full Text

Duke Authors

Cited Authors

  • Clancy, B; Luo, L; Thomas, JE

Published Date

  • October 2007

Published In

Volume / Issue

  • 99 / 14

Start / End Page

  • 140401 -

PubMed ID

  • 17930648

Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)

  • 1079-7114

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

  • 0031-9007

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1103/physrevlett.99.140401

Language

  • eng