Scattering length of Andreev reflection from quantized vortices in $^3$He-$B$

Yuri A. Sergeev, Carlo F. Barenghi, Shaun N. Fisher, Viktor Tsepelin, Nugzar Suramlishvili

Published 2015-01-08Version 1

Andreev reflection of thermal quasiparticles from quantized vortices is an important technique to visualize quantum turbulence in low temperature $^3$He-$B$. We revisit a problem of Andreev reflection from the isolated, rectilinear vortex line. For quasiparticle excitations whose impact parameters, defined as distances of the closest approach to the vortex core, do not exceed some arbitrary value, $b$, we calculate exactly the reflected fraction of the total flux of excitations incident upon the vortex in the direction orthogonal to the vortex line. We then define and calculate exactly, as a function of $b$, the scattering length, that is the scattering cross-section per unit length of the vortex line. We also define and calculate the scattering lengths for the flux of energy carried by thermal excitations, and for the net energy flux resulting from a (small) temperature gradient, and analyze the dependence of these scattering lengths on temperature.