Experimental Evidence of Kelvin-Wave Turbulence along a Vortex Core

J. Barckicke1, C. Gissinger2, and E. Falcon1

1Université Paris Cité, UMR 7057 CNRS, MSC, F-75 013 Paris, France
2LPENS, ENS, Universit\'e PSL, CNRS, Paris, France



Reference: Physical Review Letters 137, 134001 (2026)  PRL Editors' Suggestion   PRL Editors' Suggestion

URL: https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/t3bt-m431
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/t3bt-m431

Abstract:
Wave turbulence is a regime of interacting nonlinear waves occurring in most physical systems. Kelvin waves are helical distortions that propagate along vortex filaments and are believed to play a central role in quantum turbulence up to atmospheric vortices. Yet, Kelvin wave turbulence has remained inaccessible to direct experimental observation. Here, we report the first direct experimental observation of Kelvin-wave turbulence along a single vortex filament in a classical fluid under controlled conditions. Using high-resolution spatiotemporal measurements, we resolve Kelvin-wave dynamics over a broad range of scales and obtain wave-amplitude spectra consistent with the predicted weak-turbulence cascade. We identify six-wave resonant interactions as the mechanism driving this energy transfer, providing direct experimental support for a long-standing prediction of weak-turbulence theory. These results establish an experimental platform for investigating energy transport along vortex filaments, with broader implications for both classical and quantum turbulent systems.


PDF file of the article

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