Cool research into turbulence

摘要

From the earliest days of flight, wake vortices and the turbulence they cause have created problematic aerodynamic effects for aircraft and aerospace designers. Research continues into turbulence, its effect, and how to avoid or mitigate it. In fact, turbulence remains "the last great unsolved problem of classical physics," believes George Pickett, Professor of Low Temperature Physics at the UK's Lancaster University. To try and find that solution, he and his team, who are world leaders in the field of ultra-cold physics, are now using superfluids—generally regarded as nothing more than a curiosity—as a central part of research into a greater understanding of turbulence.